Clash the heart
by JustSmile x3
Summary: Because chasing after the love of your life is something worth remembering of. Success? Not guaranteed. Failure? Not guaranteed either. Mafia involved? Absolutely. OC involved. ABANDONED
1. Memorable meeting

**Chapter 1**  
><strong>Memorable meeting<strong>

It was just another simple, exasperated sigh. "Oh mother, not this again,"

"I told you that I'm not forcing you, Arianna," Lady Elizabeth replied calmly, leaving the parchment on her daughter's desk. "But you must note that if you do not take study seriously, no man will ever ask you to be their wife."

"Mother, please," Arianna sighed, rolling her eyes. "What men are looking for is called either a slut or a little wife that is supposed to stay at home and make them meals. Since I'm not in any of the two categories, chances of me getting married to a man you dream of are fairly slim."

"Which is exactly why I'm leaving this in your possession," Lady Elizabeth replied. "Studying is the key to life. If you succeed and impress a man with more than just your beauty, you will find a man who is a chevalier. Unless your father finds you a husband first, that is." She calmly brushed her fingers through her daughter's hair before leaving the room.

Sigh escaped Arianna's lips. "I'm not beautiful, mother. If anyone is, that is Victoria." Sadly, her mother was far away to hear it. Besides, even if she were to hear it, Arianna would probably have to keep her mouth shut for good. Or bad, for that matter.

Therefore, she just lifted the piece of parchment and started reading through it. "Yet another set of rules, I see," Arianna murmured bitterly, before throwing it away. "Give it to Victoria, next time. I believe she'll be the lucky one to actually have use of it."

Again, Lady Elizabeth wasn't there to hear her daughter talking. In a way, it was a nice turn of events, Arianna admonished to herself. Getting up from her bed, she walked out on the terrace to get a sigh of the first winter day for the year.

There was no snow and there was no ice, which is exactly why Arianna hated Italy. Or simpler to say, Sicily; the small island in the south. It was never cold there. She couldn't understand her father's sudden desire to move to that country. British Empire was where they belonged. The north and the snowy mountains and cold lands, but no. Father just had to go and make a decision to marry Victoria to a Sicilian noble and then move the entire family from Sunderland right to this… south… country.

However, that was all right, in a way.

The moment Arianna reached the age of eighteen she was going to return. She was going to return home and finally confess her feelings to Louis, their former neighbor.

Just… two and a half years seemed such a long time to wait.

"Ari, want to come shopping with me?" Victoria shouted excitedly from her own balcony. Raising an eyebrow at her sister, Arianna made her decision for good. She should at least pretend that it is all right. Otherwise, they may see through her plans.

"Just let me change first," she shouted back, returning to her room and closing the doors behind her. Choosing a random rose dress, Arianna was prepared.

Her five-year-older sister was standing right in front of her room already, trying to hide the overwhelming excitement. Arianna sighed. "I will not keep you company if you are going to jump like that."

Victoria grinned. "Can you blame me?"

Arianna just shook her head. "Suppose not."

"Where are you two going?" Victoria's fiancé, Daniel Reno asked, approaching to hug her. He was a slender young man with dark hair and aristocratic features and he was very much smiling at them.

Arianna grimaced. Victoria smiled.

"We shall go shopping. Willing to join us?"

"I cannot allow two beautiful ladies, such as yourselves, to go alone through the unknown area," Daniel said. He was happy, obviously. He had gotten a bonus. Besides marrying a well-known woman from British noble family, she was also a beauty with style. Long, dark hair yet curly and strings from her face removed behind in a beautiful bun from which waves of hair were falling out. In a red dress, Arianna and Daniel could agree on one thing. No one had ever seen a more beautiful woman than Victoria.

Arianna winced as Daniel suddenly offered her a hand as well, but didn't refuse. _Act natural, _she reminded herself all the time. She still didn't feel as natural around Daniel, though.

Soon enough, they were in the center of the town. Carriage left them in front of a small market place from where their shopping started. Victoria was obsessed with buying shoes. Not ever did Arianna see a shoe-lover bigger than her sister.

"Try them on, Ari!" Victoria would say cheerfully, pushing a shoe on Arianna's foot and Daniel would hold Arianna from falling, just to help his little fiancé back when they were still in Britain.

Nevertheless, this time, Arianna was smarter. "While you settle on shoes, sister, I would like to search for something more… educational," she said calmly.

"Oh…" Victoria seemed disappointed. "All right."

"Are you going alone?" Daniel asked softly.

Arianna raised a brow. It's not as if they brought guardians along. "I'll be alright on my own, Daniel. You can ask sister if you don't believe me." While Daniel turned to look at Victoria, Arianna used the chance to slip away.

She could hear her sister's high-pitched laugh but she didn't look back. Even kidnapping was better than trying on thousands of shoes in one day – if Sicily even had that many.

After five minutes only, Arianna regretted her decision, though. She forgot, but her location wasn't Sunderland. It was Sicily. Now, she was lost. Strange enough, for some reason, she felt no fear or devastation she usually would. Probably her senses have changed ever since a part of her remained in Britain with Louis. The fear, the uneasiness, the devastation, it was all left behind as well, leaving only cunningness and scheming-ness. Now, she was free from all the shackles until she went back.

It felt good.

Therefore, without any trace of fear, she continued walking down the market street as if she knew where she was going. Soon, she ran onto a small restaurant.

"Hm… money is with me, so why not?" she mumbled, entering inside. The very same moment, she wished she didn't. The place was more of a pub than a restaurant. It was loud and filled with cigar smoke she hated and most of the costumers were older men. Regardless, she walked in, sitting by the bar.

"May I get a cup of tea, please?" she asked to the woman working in badly accented Italian. That language was never her strong point, but she could speak it decently enough to communicate with people.

The woman raised a brow only, but after a few minutes, the tea was there.

"Ten," the woman said.

Arianna nodded, giving the money. It pissed her off to see how people were welcoming her. There were either cold glares coming from a few present females, as well as the looks of lust coming from some of the older man. Others did their best in neglecting her.

Arianna sighed. She had never expected a warm welcome anyway.

"You shouldn't be here."

The words in English language, whispered in her ears, made her stiffen. She expected to see Daniel, or someone else she knew and socialized with, but it wasn't anyone she ever saw.

In fact, it was a person whose face was hidden by a dark hood.

She blinked, boldly putting down her tea. "Says who?" she asked. If her father sent just another spy after her, she was going to-

"Says I," man simply said, ordering beer for himself. "Right now, you are supposed to be in the market, trying on shoes with your sister."

His English was perfect, she noticed. He spoke it as if he was from Britain himself. But then why was he sitting in a pub with her?

"Who are you? How do you know that?" she demanded.

"Don't worry." Man gave her a crooked grin. How she had noticed it, she didn't know. "I'm a friend. I just happen to know that within next few minutes you are going to leave this pub and get into trouble."

Despite herself, Arianna arrogantly asked, "Are you a fortune teller, perhaps?"

"You can say so." He continued grinning. "However, I'd advise you to go on the back door. If you walk out on the front ones now, you'll never be able to return home. Your British home, I mean."

Not moving her eyes away from the man, her determination cringed. She wanted answers. However, she could tell this man was much like her father: talking in riddles, never specifying what they are talking about and secretly manipulating people. She decided not to fall for the trap. "I have no idea what you are talking about. And unless you are a stalker or a spy, you should have no knowledge about my sister and me."

His already creepy grin turned even creepier as scars on his face became obvious. "I only gave you a friendly advice, Miss Harland. Arrivederchi," he said.

In a blink of an eye, the man was already at the exit door. Something on the inside urged Arianna to follow him, but realizing that it was exactly what the man wanted, she stayed in the pub, continuing to drink her tea. So he wanted her to leave on the back door, didn't he? Well it was not going to happen.

Back door always represented a problem. It was either drunken people or bad crowd, so she wasn't going to be stupid enough and go there to look for trouble. But then again, he perhaps wanted her to leave on the front door so he precisely told her to go on the back knowing she wouldn't listen. However, it was silly. Whichever she'd do, she'd probably end up doing what he wanted. Silently slipping a curse under her breath, she decided for the front door.

Trouble; she'll deal with it ever so courageously.

She snorted as no one actually approached her, grinning at her inner victory. Although she still had no idea of where she was heading, she felt like she couldn't make a mistake.

Until someone grabbed her by the elbow tightly, that is. Arianna gasped, trying to shake off whoever it was. The scary face looking at her didn't help.

"Release me!" she screamed in Italian, grabbing the attention of many people in her surroundings. They probably found her shouting strange. After all, she couldn't remember how to yell 'let me go' in Italian.

It all happened too fast. First, the man pulled her along to a small street aside, putting a knife under her throat. Then another two came out of nowhere, each holding a hyperactive and a struggling boy in their hands. At the same time, everyone on the street were looking away and retreating, obviously in fear from whoever was holding her.

"We've got them, boss! That's three!" one holding a redhead shouted. Instead of fear on the boy's face, there was only annoyance. Arianna couldn't help but grin once he and the second boy, the one with blonde hair, did a same movement, which released them successfully, and then they grabbed the shirts of their captors and set them over their heads. They kicked them after that, also.

The blonde one sent a reassuring grin at Arianna as he charged forward and did something (she could not see) that released Arianna from the man's hold. She stepped away instantly before the fight emerged.

No matter how much she wanted to escape at that moment, her heart was pumping strongly, and excitement filled her while watching the two boys of her age beating up three larger and far older men.

"Sorry about that, Don Walsh! Three to one!" the blonde one grinned, throwing a high five at the redhead while his grin directed at the men lying on the ground.

"Che… you were poor again. Better luck next time, idiots," the redhead said. Slowly, both turned towards Arianna.

She blinked in confusion once the blonde one approached. Dust was all over him, from head to toe, along with a few scratches on his face and his hair was a real mess. "You alright?" he asked in soft voice. Even his eyes were strange in a way. They were blue, just like hers.

"I'm alright," Arianna confirmed. "Thank you for your help, but-"

"Better stop that bleeding," the blond said with a smile.

"What-" 'What bleeding?' was the question Arianna intended to ask, but gave up, quickly realizing herself. Blood was flowing down from her neck, ruining her dress. "Oh…" she sighed in realization, accepting the handkerchief he was giving. "I never even noticed…"

"Stupid woman," the redhead commented, which instantly set Arianna on fire.

"You have no right to insult me!" she shouted.

"Who says?" he bitterly hissed back at her.

"I say!" Arianna shouted, completely forgetting about the cut on her neck again. "I've done nothing to insult you so you cannot insult me!"

"Oh, really? So you didn't just allow yourself to be caught by a moron?" spat the redhead.

"G!" the blond sounded.

"You can't allow something to happen if you don't know it's going to happen!" Arianna spat back, though a small voice in the back of her head reprimanded her. She strictly ignored it.

"Miss, please," the blonde called again and Arianna turned to him. "No need to argue. Your wound might infect if you leave it that way."

Arianna just shook her head, using the handkerchief to wipe the blood away. "Thank you. Just let your friend know he have a long tongue. A too long one, for that matter." She didn't care if it sounded wrong. Again, Italian wasn't her strong point. Regardless, no one had right to insult her like that. It was rude.

"ARI!" a shriek came from who appeared to be her sister. Arianna sighed. She intended to meet with her just after she wiped her dress, but apparently, Victoria and Daniel heard of the ruckus and came to check up on what was going on.

"What happened to you?" Daniel asked in worried voice.

"Just got in a rough trouble," Arianna said bitterly. "Fortunately, those-" she turned to show on the blond and the redhead that helped her, but she couldn't see them anywhere. "Never mind that. What matters is that I'm all right."

"You're not all right!" Victoria shrieked. "That's one nasty cut you have there!"

Arianna shrugged. "It doesn't hurt."

"Ari!"

"It's true. It doesn't hurt." Arianna shrugged.

"Do you know anything about who attacked you?" Daniel asked.

Arianna looked at him, about to say something, but then she remembered. "It was some Don Walsh or something like that." Daniel only nodded, and his face was impassive.

"Let's get you home, Ari," Victoria murmured, tightly hugging her little sister. Arianna quietly followed her lead towards the carriage.


	2. Escape route

**Chapter 2**  
><strong>Escape route<strong>

"Do you have any idea of how much this will influence your father's image?" Lady Elizabeth asked in high-pitched voice. Dazedly, Arianna just nodded, not wishing to listen her mother's whining anymore. "You, coming home in such a- such a mess…! During an important convolution! Do not even start with 'I was attacked' matter anymore! It was you who had made the choice to go all on your own!"

"I am fully conscious of my actions and I will not repeated them again, mother," Arianna said mechanically, feeling like a puppet, but that was the only thing capable of making her mother shut up and this was one of the times she felt that all she needed was silence.

"Note this, Arianna," Lady Elizabeth said in formal voice. "We have given you too much freedom. I shall speak with your father to find a way to bring you in order. We are not here even for three days, yet you have already gotten in trouble. But I'll settle this somehow…" the last sentence was so silent that Arianna had trouble hearing it.

"I'll take any punishment, mother," Arianna said nonchalantly. Of course she wouldn't, but there was no reason to tell her mother that now was there?

"Of course you will," Lady Elizabeth admonished, "Which is why I'm forbidding you to go out for the next month. No even formal parties!"

Arianna only shrugged. Not that she wanted to go anywhere in first place. As long as it made her mother shut up, she would go along with anything. At least for the next few minutes.

Entering her own room, she looked over at the rules her mother had written for her. Carefully she read them again. Her mother had no reasons to be pissed of the way she was. Arianna now confirmed it; she had _not_ broken any single rule. She was _attacked_. Yes, she did separate from her sister, but not escaped. She did walk in a pub, but drank tea, not alcohol. Therefore, no rule was broken.

Regardless, she had to spend the entire mansion, closed in the house. Oh well. It shouldn't be too hard. It only leaves a month-shorter period before her planned escape to Britain.

A part of her still wondered about the odd man from the pub, but she gave up thinking on it. Clearly she fell in his trap, just as well as she had gotten out of it. No need to make him know she admitted she had lost.

Nevertheless, the following month was going very, very slow. Most of her time she spent writing random stories or poems as an encrypted plan of her return to British Empire, but somehow, her plan would always fail due to unimportant factors. Somehow, everything she'd worked hard for would sink under water for no valuable cause. She couldn't even explain it, but she knew.

But her determination was growing day by day, until her plan was finally made. Unfortunately, to act accordingly she needed help. There was no one in her family who would willingly help her.

"What are you doing, Ari?" Vincent, her two-year-older brother asked, breaking into her room one morning.

"Nothing," Arianna mumbled. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"Nah… That's for the ones who're not family." He winked.

Looking at him, idea created in Arianna's mind. "Would you like to help me, Vincent?"

She had forgotten about him. As much as he respected their parents, Vincent was still a person who liked defying orders and rules, and he especially loved spiting the punishments.

Her brother blinked. "If it involves helping you get out of the house, sure."

"That's not exactly what I had in mind." Arianna smiled at him, "But it'll do."

"So what is on your mind?" Vincent asked, ignoring the last part.

Arianna looked at him. Mischief was his second name, but she knew it was useless to ask him to help her go back to Britain. He and love of her life, Louis, weren't exactly best friends.

"Would you teach me how to punch?" she asked with a smile. As expected, her brother roared in laughter.

"Girls don't fight. Girls can't fight. Girls won't fight. _Ever_," he replied after calming down a little. Arianna's face dropped. She forgot. Her brother was a cavalier in a way. "But I could teach you how to knock out someone without fighting." He winked.

Arianna's hopes surged. "You would?"

"If you don't mind getting your hands dirty at times," Vincent shrugged, running fingers through his curly hair. "Though, we'll have to wait for your month of punishment to finish."

Arianna nodded frantically. "Agreed!"

"Right. I'm off to horse riding, then. I'll see you at dinner." With that said, he left. Arianna only smiled, stage one of her plan started.

"Oh well… another week of waiting shouldn't be too long."

Her plans, unfortunately, once again fell apart, this time courtesy of her father. One night before her punishment ended, her father announced an engagement for her. Needless to say, Arianna was disgusted, although she acted as if she was accepting it. The wedding was to take place on her eighteenth birthday and the groom was going to be an aristocrat by the name of Daemon Spade.

The very same night, Vincent's engagement was also announced, surprising everyone in the family. He was supposed to marry Lady Marlene next month, so he was taking his leave to Rome the next day. Once Arianna returned to her room after dinner, she couldn't help but try to pull off another scheme, but that one ended up in drained in her tears.

It was the middle of the night, when she had decided to change the plan entirely.

Who said she had to wait until she was eighteen to return to Britain? She could just sneak onto a ship right now and it should be no problem. She also could steal some money from her parents because they had too much of it, either way.

Yes. It shouldn't be too hard.

Dressing one of her oldest dresses, the dirtiest one… the only one her mother would never imagine her wearing (hell, her mother didn't even know she still had it), she took all the money she could find and put it in one of her mother's bags. She threw a look around her room to see if there was anything she couldn't go without, but her attachments to objects was back in Britain, along with her ability to care.

Therefore, she took nothing except for the money and sneaked out of the house.

It was not an easy assignment, however. She was caught almost twice, but only thanks to her quick thinking, she managed to pull herself out of the bad situation and continue towards the port.

At least she remembered to bring a map this time.

"I'm coming, Louis," she said aloud, picture of Louis coming up in her mind. With confidence coming from just thinking of him, she succeeded in losing her house from the view. Finally, ultimate freedom was hers to take.

Or maybe not.

Her confidence dropped after she reached the port, finding that the only ship going to Britain was scheduled for the next week. And the said ship wasn't even going to Sunderland.

"No… I'm not going home," she decided, nodding to herself. "Yet."

She had enough money with herself to survive a week away from home. Hopefully.

* * *

><p>"-we could call Cozart too. Giotto, are you listening to me? Giotto? OI! What the hell are you doing there?" G burst out, seeing his friend staying behind.<p>

"Sorry, G," Giotto gave a half-hearted sigh, turning his head on the other side again. "But doesn't she look familiar to you?" he asked, pointing at a girl cuddled under a tree.

"Picking up another stray?" G raised a curios brow. "I don't know who that is, Giotto."

"I do," Giotto said suddenly, puzzles merging. "It's that girl that was arguing with you after we defeated Walsh and his men." He grinned.

G blinked, turning to look at the girl again. Well, it fit the description; long brown curly hair, elegant Miss with strong sense of standing up for herself and a scar on the neck and also a very bad Italian accent, at least when she had tried to argue with him. G cringed. "Yeah, it's her. So what?"

"I don't think we should leave her lying here." Giotto shrugged. "She looks like she's cold."

"Che… Giotto we have nothing to do with the stupid woman. Do you want Reno and his people to go after us? You've seen who came to her once we _rescued_ her!"

"But we can't leave her to freeze here either, G," Giotto muttered carefully. "It's winter and it's cold. Maybe no snow but I don't think she's feeling warm in that dress…"

"Fine! Whatever! But you explain Asari and Nanny this!" G blurted out.

Giotto victoriously grinned, taking the girl. Although it didn't look like it, she was very light. Actually, dress was probably the most of her weight. She looked quite skinny and pale, but he could tell she was alive. What he also didn't tell G was what he figured out after hearing some rumors. Miss Harland, sister of Reno's fiancée, had been kidnapped three days ago. However, something was telling him she wasn't really kidnapped.

After knocking on the door of one of the smaller houses in the area, Giotto tried to smile as the door opened with an older woman standing there, looking angry. "Where the hell have you two been? Do you have any idea-" she stopped at the sight of the girl and shook her head. "Giotto, you know we don't have much place for ourselves, especially not strays."

"I think you're gonna like her, Nanny," Giotto grinned knowingly. "I think she's a first girl ever that yelled at G."

"Eh? Someone yelled at G, I hear?" Asari walked out of the kitchen with a cup of tea. G scowled at him.

"Shut up, idiot! That's not true!"

"Ah, never mind that," Nanny sighed. "You can put her on the couch in the living room dear, but I don't think there's enough place here for her to stay permanently."

"I know, I know," Giotto said, putting the girl on the bed. With the light coming from the candles, he could see how bad she actually looked. She was as white as snow and her light brown hair was a huge mess. There were even smaller branches and leaves in it. Her dress was ruined and she was clutching a bag. She also had a few scratches over her face, all apparently from the bush. _Wow, what happened to her?_

"Dinner is waiting, Giotto!" Nanny called from the kitchen.

"Coming," Giotto said, quickly stepping back to the kitchen and taking the only free seat left. Others were taken by his best friend, G, his recent friend, Asari, and Asari's grandma Iruka, with whom he escaped from Japan because of some genocide or something, but they all called her Nanny. Nanny and Asari had been living in the house for a few days only when someone tried to rob it. G and Giotto returned what the thieves stole and they ended up living with them. It was a good turn of events.

Nanny and Asari both had troubles learning Italian so G and Giotto helped, while they at the same time taught Giotto and G to their own native language, Japanese. It was an interesting exchange. Besides, they had gotten close. Nanny even allowed people such as that girl to stay for a while, although not for too long, it seemed.

"Boys, you'll have to share rooms if you want for her to stay," Nanny admonished after the dinner was over. Giotto and Asari looked at each other and shrugged, while G only whistled.

"I'm not participating. The damn woman shouldn't even be here."

Giotto grinned. "Oh well… I can share my room," he offered.

"Alright then, but no funny stuff," Nanny laughed.

"Funny stuff?" Giotto repeated in confusion. "Like what?" Before Nanny answered him, though, G started pushing him out of the room.

"Conversation's done for tonight. I get your point. I'll share the damn room."

Exchanging looks with each other, Giotto and Asari both shrugged at the same time, clueless on what G was talking about, but there were hidden smiles as the same idea entered their minds. They were so going to tease G about this later.


	3. Welcome

**Chapter 3**  
><strong>Welcome<strong>

"Feeling better yet?" Giotto asked curiously noticing that the N.N. girl was starting to wake up.

"Uh…" she sighed, holding her head while slowly trying to get up.

"Hey, it's okay!" he immediately said. "You've been out for a few days so it's kind of normal you'd get dizzy. Just take it slowly…"

"Whom… is you?" she mumbled, managing to sit up and blinking at the light.

"My name is Giotto…" Giotto replied, not sure what she was asking. Her Italian was not exactly the best he had gotten to hear. "And who are you?" he asked back curiously.

"Ari- no, wait! I have got to change my name," she mumbled. "Uh… do you posses any good suggestions?"

Giotto blinked, dumbfounded, slowly translating to himself. "Err… no. Just… tell me your name and I maybe get to think of something?" he suggested. Girl looked at him in confusion, but shrugged a second later.

"I remember you. You were that guy… back a while ago who gave me the handkerchief," she remarked silently.

Giotto stared at her, but then he smiled. "Yeah… I guess that's one way to put it." He really wanted to laugh out, for some strange reason. "So, will you tell me your name?"

"Arianna," she said in the end. "I never gotten to thank you for helping me… where did you guys run off after?"

Giotto looked away. "We didn't exactly want to be seen by Reno and his people… but we didn't really run away. We were just behind the corner."

"Oh…" Arianna nodded carefully. "Okay. Where am I? Oh… and what day is it? You said I've been out for a few day…"

"Uh… yeah…" Giotto scratched the back of his head. "You're in Nanny's and Asari's place. It'll be easier to understand once you meet them… and um, it's Friday today."

Those words devastated her, however. Two huge tears started rolling down her face. "F-Friday? Please… tell me… tell me it's twenty-fourth… please…" But before Giotto got to say a thing, she burst in tears. "No… no… it's bad… of course it's not twenty-fourth, silly…"

"W-what's bad?" Giotto asked instantly. "What was supposed to happen on twenty-fourth?"

"N-no… not twenty-fourth… uh… it was supposed to be on Wednesday… a ship for Britain and I… I missed it!" she started uncontrollably sobbing, which ended up with G, Asari, and Nanny bursting in the room as well to see what was wrong.

"But you can get on another one," Asari quickly said. "I think there's one going every two months." However, it only seemed to make it worse.

"Che… besides being stupid you're also a crybaby. So lame," G shook his head, looking rather annoyed with the situation.

"G!" Nanny and Giotto called at the same time, Nanny in a soft voice, Giotto in softly scolding one.

"D-Don't call me a crybaby, idiot! How would you felt if you was in my place? Eh? With creepy parents forcing you to do what you don't want! With the love of your life overseas and a bunch of people around you whom don't get a single damn thing about you except for your damn physical health? Eh? How would you FELT?" Arianna suddenly burst out.

"First of all, I'm not an idiot, crybaby! Second, I'm not in your place so I don't really give a damn! And since I kind of don't remember meeting my parents I guess you could say that I again don't give a damn! Third, stop yelling at me!" G burst back.

"NO! You stop yelling! You started first, pink-head!" Arianna shouted back in tears.

Color of G's face was slowly turning into very similar one of his hair.

"I think it's better to stop it here," Asari quickly said, grabbing G by the elbow and dragging him out of the room. There was a loud crash, but neither Nanny nor Giotto paid any attention. Arianna, however, did.

"Is he dead?" she asked silently. Nanny burst out laughing.

"He's not, silly," she said, tapping the girl's head. "You were right about her, Giotto. I do like her."

"What?" Arianna blinked. "What do you mean, you like me?" she asked, flinching away. "You're not into human trade, are you?"

"Of course not, silly!" Nanny laughed again.

"It just means we'll help you," Giotto explained. Arianna looked at him and blinked.

"You'll helps me? You mean… you won't let them find me and you'll help me get on the ship to Britain?" she asked, gleam of hope appearing in her eyes. Nanny only shook her head exasperatedly, but grinned.

Giotto smiled. "Yeah."

"Thank you!" Arianna squealed, jumping to hug him. Giotto blushed hard, first time being hugged by a girl. Anyways, he tapped her back a little.

"You were talking about a new name?" he asked. Arianna released him, moving away a little.

"Yes, indeed! I need name… I really needs new name. I will be found if I don't thinks of something common… and I must change my appearance as well…" she mumbled, resting her chin on her finger.

"Well, that should be easy," Nanny smiled. "For the name, we can think of something, for the looks, we can do something. Just tell me one thing, is your hair normally straight or curly?"

Arianna looked confused with the question. "Uh… wavy…?" she suggested. "I don't really know. Mother has been curling it ever since I remember of myself."

"That should do." Nanny nodded. "I'll settle down your looks after you wash a little. We only made sure that you got some food and water but we didn't exactly wash you…"

Nods of agreement came from Arianna. "Please… I… thank you so much. I… I don't know why you're doing this, but… thank you."

Giotto and Nanny looked at each other and then looked at her with a grin. "It's our pleasure," they chorused.

"By the way, was there anything with me? Like a bag…" Arianna mumbled curiously.

"There was one," Giotto replied. "It was empty, though…"

Arianna nodded sadly. "I guess that wasn't a dreams… then."

She decided not to elaborate, and thankfully, G and Nanny were not prying.

* * *

><p>"Thank you, Nanny!" Arianna squealed when Nanny moved away. She passed her fingers through her new hair that had a silky feeling to it. It was softer than ever before. Looking at an old piece of mirror, Arianna almost squealed again. Her hair was now short, going little below her shoulders. It was completely straight and most of all, it was black. Arianna never looked so much unlike herself. Out of excitement, she hugged Nanny tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is amazing!"<p>

"I'm glad you like it so much," Nanny laughed. "Come downstairs now, dinner should start. Boys will be shocked."

"Oh… right!" Arianna jumped away from Nanny, looking at her seriously now. "I have to do something to thank them. I mean… to thank all of you here. You let me stay, you help me change myself and you give me food. I have to do something to pay you back for all this!"

Nanny sighed, shaking her head with a smile. "Alright, if you're so settled on doing something… I guess there is one thing you could do." Arianna nodded, waiting.

Nanny sighed, continuing. "Just, be their friend. You may not see it, but G himself told you he has no parents. It's the same with Giotto. Asari as well, in a way. His parents are on the whole other side of the world. I'm not asking from you to be a motherly figure to them… just… can you please make sure that their feet stay on the ground? I have a really bad feeling about something happening and if boys have their heads up in the clouds-"

"I get it," Arianna cut her off. "You want me to keep their feet on the ground. To be the mature one. I can do that. Are you sure there ain't anything else?"

"That would be all, dear," Nanny smiled. "Let's go downstairs, now. Boys will probably be in a lack of words once they see you like this."

"Yes, ma'am!" Arianna shouted excitedly, jumping on her feet. They slowly went downstairs, entering the kitchen where the trio was excitedly discussing something. They stopped once they realized that Nanny and Arianna were in the room. They were only staring.

"What do you think boys? Who is this girl?" Nanny asked with a snicker.

"I… I'm not sure…" Giotto said honestly. Arianna struggled to hide a chuckle.

"Che… it's just the stupid woman," G scoffed, looking away.

"Don't call me stupid, idiot!" she burst out instantly, but not in the hostile way as usual and the smile was still present.

"Che! You _are_ stupid so I _am_ calling you stupid and I _will_ call you stupid as long as you are stupid!" G spat. He obviously didn't care.

"All right, so as long as you're an idiot I'll- no. It sounds like I'm copying you. Pink-head would sound so much better!" Arianna replied cheerfully.

"Can we eat dinner in piece?" Giotto asked silently, although no one paid attention to him besides Asari.

"Don't you _dare_ calling me pink-head, stupid slut!"

"Try calling me a slut and I'll call you a pink-headed jackass!"

Nanny only sighed, looking at Giotto who was about to react. "Let them be. Arianna herself said it that arguing with G helps her regain her sanity and determination."

"I don't remember hearing her say that…" Giotto cocked his head. Asari burst out laughing.

With a shrug, Giotto listened at the continued insults the two kept throwing at each other. "Oh well… hopefully they won't throwing things like he was with Cozart once before."

"Relax, Giotto," Asari grinned. "Even if G would start throwing things, I don't think Arianna would. She's still a girl. Decent one, at that."

"I hope so…" Giotto said honestly.

"I quit!" Arianna exclaimed louder than before. "I had enough of fighting your silly pink ass! I want to eat something and if you keep standing in my way I'll-"

"Compromise?" Nanny offered through laughter. G and Arianna looked at her. Arianna shrugged, taking the free seat next to hers.

"OI! Where am I going to sit?" G exclaimed, the only free spot taken by Arianna.

"I think couch is calling for you this time around, G," Nanny laughed. G cursed under his breath, taking his dinner and going back to the living room. Nanny's command was ultimate.

"I wasn't that cruel… was I?" Arianna suddenly lowered her head and stopped eating. "I mean… he really pisses me off so I'll go arguing and all… but I don't wish to go too far."

Nanny, Giotto and Asari exchanged looks with one another and then turned towards Arianna. "You do know that you still need a new name, Arianna-chan," Asari said in the end.

"Don't change the sub-"

"Isabella would be nice," Nanny cut her off.

"I said don't change-"

"Or Yuki?" Asari suggested.

"You! Guys!"

"Nah… I think Nella would be okay. It's not hard to pronounce and it kind of looks like your name so it can be taken as a nickname too…" Giotto suggested. "Besides, it can be used in both languages, English and Italian."

"Sounds good." Asari nodded.

"But guys, we were talking about whether I was-"

"You're only too harsh with G if you start throwing things around," Nanny interjected. "Since you're not, it's okay. Things like this happen all the time. We're used to it, Nella."

"But…" Arianna blinked. At the pointing looks from Nanny, Arianna lowered her head. "I see. And… I like the name. Thank you, Giotto."

"You're welcome," he smiled.

She tried to smile back. She more like grimaced at him, though.


	4. Leave the comfort behind

**Chapter 4**  
><strong>Leave the comfort behind<strong>

"There, this should be all for today," Nanny said after buying some cheese. "I'm going to try cooking a new meal so I guess this should do." She smiled warmly. "Thanks for keeping me company, Nella."

Arianna smiled back, helping her to put the cheese in the bag. "It's of no problem, really," she replied. "It feels good to be outside and not having to worry about whether you'll be recognized. Although, that guard… I kind of think he did recognize me."

"Ah… I disagree. I believe no one will recognize you now," Nanny said calmly.

"Chances of that are slim but… I think if I'd run onto Victoria or Vincent… I think they'd both recognize me. I hope that that guard is working for Daniel and not father… I'm not so sure about my parents, but they're dangerous… still, Daniel might recognize me too," Arianna said, looking in the sky. Smile disappeared from her face quickly. "I don't want to go back to them…"

"I see, but Nella, I never caught it before… Your family is here… so why do you want to go to Britain so much?" Nanny asked silently.

Arianna looked at her in confusion, but then sighed. There was no use hiding it anymore. These people helped more than anyone else. She might as well be truthful. "Because father wanted me to marry some aristocrat here," she said the first thing that came to her mind, but then changed her mind. "Or no… I decided to go back even before that. It's because… it's because the love of my life is waiting for me back there," she said with a small smile playing on her lips.

"Oh? So he's waiting for you?" Nanny repeated excitedly. For some reason, Arianna's smile wiped from her face quickly.

"In fact, I don't really know. I used to be very close with him, much like best friends… I kissed him once, but the day later, we got on the ship to Italy so I never have gotten to hear his feelings on the matter. I'm sure he loves me back… he did kiss me back… but…"

"I believe he does love you," Nanny said with a happy smile. "So what's his name? Who is he?" she urged excitedly.

"His name is Louis," Arianna replied with a huge, dreamy smile appearing on her face. "He is tall… short, dark locks of hair… muscles… he has green eyes. He's beautiful and a really nice person. Cavalier. Moreover, he always helped me. I guess you can also say that he was always my support. When we were kids we tended to fight a lot… but it changed when I was thirteen."

"Oh… sounds like a love story," Nanny smiled. "Continue on, continue on!"

"We became best friends after I was thirteen… I could tell him everything and he could tell everything to me as well… except that I never dared to tell him I love him. That I knew how things would turn out I would've done something about it earlier. I wish I could just appear there in front of him right at this moment," Arianna said silently, in hard effort to keep her voice indifferent and calm.

"Oh… so you're in such a rush to go to him?" Nanny asked. At Arianna's nod, she continued. "Well, I could talk to Giotto and others about it… maybe you don't have to wait for that ship for another nine weeks."

"Eh? Really?" Arianna jumped excitedly.

"I won't promise anything yet, but I will have nice conversation with others about it," Nanny said, "but now, let's just get the groceries back home."

"Yes ma'am!" Arianna exclaimed.

Arrival home was quite… all right, although, there was no one to welcome them. Giotto and G were out on their 'usual' whatever that was, and Asari was playing flute in a restaurant nearby. Nanny also mentioned another frequent visitor, Cozart Shimon, but Arianna didn't know of him.

Except for a minor incident of a random person pointing a finger at her and a guard possibly recognizing her, everything else was in perfect order, Arianna nodded to herself, as she settled her bed.

Later that night, everyone gathered downstairs for a talk. Nanny pleaded Arianna to go upstairs because some things had to be discussed in private and Arianna agreed. Curiosity was killing her inside however, so she peeked out after a few minutes only.

"-because it's just too dangerous," she heard Giotto saying.

"Che… it is stupid to even bother about this. We can just wait for the ship and help her sneak in like the stupid woman wanted, things settled," G said in sharp voice.

"And how long would it take her to reach Britain then?" Nanny asked. "I believe it would be no less than two months."

"And with ports being watched by Reno it'll be really hard to sneak her on a ship," Asari added worriedly.

"Which leaves only one choice, Giotto," Nanny said seriously. "That vigilant group of yours has to finally be restarted. You had enough of people being terrorized, but you could do nothing to change it. You do know Cozart and I will always be your support."

"Yeah. So will I," G claimed.

"Me as well," Asari added.

"It's still dangerous!" Giotto objected. "I know… and I want to do it more than anything but I don't want to bring danger to you… Reno already knows I'm friends with Shimon. And besides Walsh, he's also targeting me. It's only a matter of time. I'll have to leave this place. Ships aren't safe and since Reno is looking for Nella, too, it would be for the best if we'd both leave…but later. I-"

"Out of options!" G objected. "Think I'll let you just run off? You know what, I'd rather turn into a killer than let that happen, genius!"

"And besides, you're the only one with the connections that can do it," Nanny said softly. "I heard rumors today on the market. Reno wants to defeat Walsh badly. Once that new boy, Daniel, takes over his Family then it'll only be a matter of time. The area would belong to Reno and you'd be the only remaining target. Your connection to Shimon is too important for them to skip on you, Giotto."

"Which is exactly why I want to leave," Giotto mumbled.

"And leave everything behind? Are you insane?" G snapped.

"Yeah. Running away won't solve anything, Giotto. You taught us that. Reno and Walsh are only in war for the territory, but they both have interest in getting rid of you, or at least capturing you. Therefore, if there comes to be a winner, you have to find a way to confront them," Asari said calmly.

"This still doesn't solve the matter of what are we going to do with Nella," Giotto sighed. "Even if I were to start the group again, number of members would only be four which is too weak for a start which is why-"

"_Which is why _I have an idea," Nanny interjected. "Nella is heading to Britain, which is pretty far away. Best choice for her, considering she's being searched after, would be land. No one can recognize her. However, if she were to stay on a ship for two months someone absolutely would."

"Wait… I don't think I get this," G sounded skeptical.

"I do," Giotto sighed in resignation. "Nanny wants me to go all the way to France and drop Nella on a ship to Britain there. In the meantime, she wants me to gather allies."

"Sounds like a plan," Asari said calmly.

"It is a plan, flute-nerd!" G snapped.

"So you guys agree?" Giotto asked unsurely.

"Hell yeah!" G roared.

"Of course," Nanny said softly.

"Yes," Asari smiled.

"Alright, then…" Giotto said silently. "Vigilant group will be… then."

"Someone has to go and tell Nella about it," Nanny chuckled.

"It's alright," Giotto stopped her, apparently. "She heard it already." Asari and Nanny blinked in confusion, but G then pointed at Arianna who only shrugged. She was standing near the door, figuring long ago that she was noticed. There was no use hiding that anymore either. She figured out the conversation, and G and Giotto knew it, so they never had a need to say anything.

"Uh… Giotto, I…" Arianna started, trying to find the right words. "I'll help out. Count me like your group's member as well." She nodded firmly.

"There's no need for things such as that, Nella," he said with a smile. "We'll figure it out somehow. I won't let you get involved."

"But-"

"Girls shouldn't fight, idiot!" G snapped. Arianna blinked. Vincent had said the same thing.

"I… guess," she mumbled in agreement through her clenched teeth, anger lifting up.

"I believe the problem is taken care of," Nanny admonished. "Is anyone in the mood for some warm milk, since it's already two in the morning?" That earned a few chuckles as Asari and Giotto agreed right away. However, Arianna was off to her bed, with an excuse that she was tired. There was one thing she needed to decide for herself. Now, her doubts were confirmed.

"I really need to find a way to stand up for myself without using words only," she mumbled in her chin before letting the sleep drift over her.

Next few days were spent in preparations, food buying and many other things that needed to be taken care of before they were to leave. Apparently, their first destination was meant to be north, the area that belongs to Shimon family. It seemed that Shimon Cozart was a grandson of the family's boss, and that one was one rather prestigious and royal aristocratic family near Rome.

Regardless, things were so far so good, except for the news that Arianna had heard, about her sister getting married earlier than expected. Soon, it was also announced that boss of the Reno family was now Daniel. Arianna could only shrug. She knew her father was plotting something about all those marriages… but to marry Victoria to a mafia boss (as she heard from Giotto) really didn't sound like something he'd do.

It made her wonder was her former fiancée a mafia boss as well. And what about that woman Vincent was supposed to marry?

"Feeling alright?" Nanny asked softly, sitting on the bed next to Arianna.

"Yes," Arianna sighed. "I just miss my family… a little."

"Maybe you should go home, sweetie, you've been here for almost two weeks," Nanny said softly.

"No," Arianna said determinedly. "Louis is waiting for me. I won't fail him." It earned a look of sympathy from Nanny and a smile from Asari, being the only two who heard her talking. "Oh, by the way, Asari!" she called, noticing him, "I wanted to ask you something!"

"Say then, Nella-chan," Asari replied. Arianna dragged him off so that Nanny couldn't hear.

Nanny shook her head, seeing through the talk. With a sneaky smile, she looked at Asari. "You better not say no, grandson," she muttered in her chin before leaving to help Giotto with their future food supply.

* * *

><p>"There," Giotto said to G, final preparations finished. "Cozart is already in his town with his fiancée. The letter is sent and all we are waiting for is his response. Nella is set and the war between Walsh and Reno is still on. At least according to the yesterday's news. It shouldn't be too hard after we reach north."<p>

"Che… are you even sure about that?" G asked darkly. "I mean about leading that girl all the way to France."

"Does it look like I'm not?" Giotto asked back with a small smile. G smirked.

'Of course not,' was what he wanted to say, but held back. It was useless trying to talk Giotto out of something once he set his mind on it. Least G could do was be of help as much as he could. Therefore, he only sighed. "You said that."

"Certainly did!" Giotto laughed.

"Dinner is set, Giotto, G!" Nanny called from the kitchen. Giotto and G only shrugged. Dinner call totally bought them.

"Coming right up!" G shouted as they concentrated on finishing the last of the preparations regarding horses.

Dinner passed with minor arguments on G's part. It was strange, but at rare times, he and Arianna even managed in tolerating each other by pretending the other one was not in the room. It was effective, clearly, although some comments…

"Che. Next time put a bit more spice," G commented on a piece of macaroni he ate. Arianna took it… harshly.

"Excuse me? Next time, you go add spice yourself! It's not easy when you cook for the first time in your life!"

"Well it's not my fault you were never cooking before! I was only giving a friendly advice!" G yelled back.

"Next time try saying it nicely!" Arianna yelled.

"I'm always saying it nicely, you dolt!"

"You're not, pink-head! You're being rude!"

"Don't get me started now! I _am_ not rude but I _can_ turn rude!"

"_Go_ right _for_ it!"

"Sloppy bitch with no cooking skills!"

"Moronic fool with no common sense!"

"Lousy brat!"

"Is that the best you have, pink-man-slut?"

"I think that was enough you two," Giotto interjected.

"NO!" they both shouted at the same time.

"You two acting the way you are," Nanny shook her head, "Believe me when I say; you sound like an old married couple."

"WE DON'T!" G and Arianna roared at the same time. Nanny and Giotto burst in laughter.

"Of course not," Asari smiled politely.

"Isn't it… too silent today?" Giotto asked suddenly. Everyone stopped for a few seconds. Silence was everything filling their ears. Except for their own breathing, they could hear nothing else. Arianna looked around for a second, remembering something she heard earlier on the market.

"Walsh was defeated by Reno today…" she suddenly said. Giotto and G froze. Asari looked shocked. Arianna blinked, taking a few seconds to figure out why exactly were they way they were, but then she remembered and shock filled her face. Nanny only sighed. But her sigh was… weak. Tired.

"It's a good thing you're leaving in a few hours, ne?" she asked in a too weak voice before falling on the table. Everyone suddenly jumped. Arianna was dragged off by someone else, finding herself standing behind G, Asari and Giotto. She couldn't even see what was going on.

"N-Nanny?" Giotto asked in silent voice, slowly patting her shoulder and trying to help her move away from the table. Her eyes were closed, face pale. Blood was dripping from her mouth and Giotto realized exactly what was going on.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" he screamed right before a set of knives burst through ever possible place, breaking doors, windows, everything. Arianna screamed after being cut by one of the knives, but everyone else was all right.

"G, check on the horses and take Nella with you! Asari, help me!" Giotto commanded. The orders followed, Giotto and Asari were soon the only ones left in the kitchen. "Asari," Giotto started in serious tune, "That bamboo sword of yours is right next to that chair. I hope it'll be helpful."

"It will," Asari said with a regretful look in his eyes. He reached for the bamboo sword successfully and used the already broken glass as motivation to get out of the house. He dodged every attack aimed at him and managed to knock out three of the five men that were throwing knives. Giotto wasn't far behind. He also got out through the window, knocking out one man in the mid-way while the other one managed to escape.

However, another three burst out of the woods, but there were three gunshots heard. Three bodies fell on the ground.

"Horses are fine, Giotto," G said seriously, returning his gun in the holster. "Stupid woman earned a few scratched but she's pretty much all right. She's back with horses."

"And Nanny?" Asari asked in weak voice. No words were capable of saying anything. This time, however, it was Giotto to answer. And he did it only with a small shake of head as in 'no'. After all he, just as G and Asari, was in utter shook. It all happened too fast. Knife in Nanny's back… they wished they knew how it ended there, but unfortunately, asking that would only meaning admitting she was gone.

And none of them wanted to do that.


	5. And the journey begins

**Chapter 5**  
><strong>And the journey begins<strong>

Stretching over the last bits of dirt that they previously dug; Giotto, Asari, G and Arianna gathered around the small grave they had dug for Nanny. It was all they could do in such a small amount of time that they managed to gain with their escape. Asari was devastated more than anyone was, but Arianna was still the only one actually shedding tears. Giotto didn't move away when she leaned on his shoulder for support. He might as well need a support at that moment.

"They'll catch up soon. We have to move," G said about twenty minutes later. The ones chasing them were the members of the victorious family, Reno. G discovered that after taking out two of the attackers before they fully escaped. According to them, it was an order they had to follow, and before G got to interrogate them more, they escaped.

Giotto only nodded, still in daze. He was out of clue on what to say or do. It felt… empty. Nanny was there for him with advices and support even before he had gotten to know her well. After he did… she just turned into a mother figure… whom he now lost.

It was same for G, who never grew attached to people. Then again, partially, he also saw that woman as mother he never had, despite knowing her a few months only.

With Asari, however, it was completely different. After escaping from Japan, actually even before, Nanny was always with him. She was his support, his parent, his grandparent… his family. Someone who knew him better than anyone else did. Someone who he needed more than anyone else.

Arianna wasn't taking it easy, either. She was a type to get attached to people too quickly and Nanny was for her playing someone she never had before; a parent who cared about more than just her physical health. What was even harder for her, though, was the pressure that was now put on her back.

"_I'm not asking from you to be a motherly figure to them… just… can you please make sure that their feet stay on the ground? I have a really bad feeling about something happening and if boys have their heads up in the clouds-" _that was the only thing Nanny asked from her. It was up to her to make sure of it. So, she stood up on her feet and wiped her tears away.

"Let's get going. Just sitting here and mourning won't do a single damn thing right. She wanted us to stand up for ourselves, which is exactly what we need to do," she said in determined voice, clutching her fists.

"T-true…" Asari agreed silently, but without conviction. "She wouldn't want us to get caught because we were too distracted with her… her death."

Soon enough, Giotto and G were on their feet. "Let's go…" Giotto said silently, determination hitting. "We have a mission to do. And a home to return to after this is over."

Nodding during the process, they gathered their luggage and headed off straightly on north. Their journey wasn't meant to be easy. First they had to reach north and Cozart. Reaching France through land was definite to take them at least two months… unless if they sneak on a train with Cozart's help. The ongoing revolution in France wasn't giving them much courage, either. Still, they first had to arrive to the north unharmed.

"How are you?" Giotto asked silently, the second night after their journey started. They were sitting in woods, around small fire. They were still on Sicily, too close to their town, but they couldn't move faster.

Arianna looked up, realizing the question was meant for her. She quickly looked away. "Don't worry about me. I'm only tired. I'll go rest a little."

Giotto only nodded as she stood up and took her usual spot next to Asari. He smiled a little bit at her obvious lie. If he could only tell what the lie was about, however… But he decided to leave it for the time. Arianna was younger than they were. Almost an entire year younger. It was all right for her to be withdrawn now. He just wished he knew why he was so sure it was a lie.

* * *

><p>"Stupid bitch! You can't go without dropping anything, can you?" G spat while Arianna did her best to pick up the nuts that fell out of her limp hands.<p>

"Shut up, pinprick! I'm at least trying here! Do you have any idea how hard this is to someone who usually spent most of the journey time resting?" Arianna shouted back.

"Well it's not my fault you were resting! Now you're not resting so try being less useless!" G shouted, irritated, while gathering woods for fire.

"OH so I'm useless, now?" Arianna screamed back. "That's how you thank someone who keeps making you food! All right! No food for you anymore!"

"HA! Try me! I can cook for myself, fool!"

"I can't wait to see that happen, jerk!"

"Stupid bitch! You'll see when I-"

"Do _not_ call me a bitch, Pink-man-slut!"

"Who gave you the right to call me that?" G erupted back.

"You did when you called me a bitch!" Arianna spat bitterly.

"Well that's obviously what you are!" G yelled.

"I _am not_! It is you who doesn't appreciate what he has and therefore, I now won't even let Giotto or Asari give you food! You are starving from now on, pink-octopus head!" Arianna blew up.

"Like I said, I can cook for myself, useless brat!"

"They're at it again?" Giotto asked lazily, finishing off bits of his nuts.

"I think they could go on like this forever," Asari nodded, sipping his milk.

"Sometimes I wonder if Nella has a split personality disorder… She acts really nice around us but… she's like a demon with G," Giotto muttered.

Asari turned to get a look and a smile plastered on his face. "I wonder as well." They continued acting as if nothing was happening while G's and Arianna's fight was slowly dying down.

"Anyone wishes for more milk?" Arianna asked, suddenly bumping out in between the two, taking them by surprise.

"With pleasure," Giotto smiled after a few moments of shock. Arianna smiled back, sipping him milk.

"How long is it before we reach Rome?" she asked silently, sipping milk for herself as well.

"Long," Giotto sighed sadly. "We're still in Sicily and we have a long way to go. Don't tell me you didn't know this was an island?"

Arianna blinked, dumbfounded. However, with a nod, she seemed to clear it all up in her head. "I knew my father was an island-fanatic," she sighed in resignation and G joined them for dinner. Arianna and G were clearly ignoring each other.

"Nella…" Giotto blinked in confusion, grabbing her wrist. There, where her sleeve was pushed all the way up to her elbow, a dark bruise was following it all the way from her wrist. Just as if something hit her; like a stick. It seemed like the bruise itself was healing, however, meaning it was there-

"It's nothing," she quickly said, releasing her hand from his grip and moving it away. Giotto let her, but didn't look away. Arianna rolled her eyes. "It's nothing, really. It was only an accident. I'm fine."

Somehow, he was very doubtful about those words. He turned to look at Asari, but his expression was just as vary as his own.

* * *

><p>"A-ACHOO!" G scowled and wiped his nose.<p>

"Someone is badmouthing you, G," Asari said with one of his usual soft smiles, although, each seemed to be not so deep from his soul lately. He tapped his horse's head when the fellow got upset at another G's sneeze.

"Che. Fools. Have nothing better to do," G hissed. "I wouldn't be surprised even if it were the bitch that just did it."

Asari sent a look towards Arianna who was riding on the horse with Giotto. She was obviously pretending she didn't hear, turning her head on the other side. For a second, her face was puzzled. "Guys, what is that?" she asked, pointing somewhere behind the trees.

Stopping horses, others decided to look as well.

"I don't see anything," Asari pointed out.

"Me either… now. But… there was something." Arianna frowned. "It was as if someone was moving. You get what I mean?"

"Let's just continue…" Giotto decided. Others could only shrug and send a double look at him. After being quiet the whole day, which itself was somewhat confusing, Giotto speaking in the shortest possible manner was something that didn't happen very often.

"Is everything all right, Giotto?" Asari asked silently.

"What's there to be asked, idiot?" G snapped.

"There, there. There's no need to go ballistic, G. He was only asking a simple question…" Arianna remarked icily.

"I'm not ballistic!" G looked away. "This has nothing to do with you, anyway!"

Before Arianna had gotten to reply, Giotto sounded. "I'm all right…" he said, sounding absent-minded. "It's fine…"

Arianna looked at Asari in confusion, shrugging. Asari shrugged back.

"LOOK OUT!" Giotto exclaimed, pulling their horse to stop abruptly. Arianna tightly grabbed him for the shoulders to keep herself from falling, all while screaming. G and Asari stopped as well, soon finding out exactly why. There were riffles pointed right at them from all sides.

"I knew I saw something…" Arianna silently grunted in Giotto's ear. He could only sigh.

A few men walked out in front of them, riffles set to fire at any time. "Travelers must pay taxes!" one of them growled.

"Wha-?"

Giotto cut off Arianna.

"Hell _what_?" G snapped.

"This is the land of the Cavallone mafia family! You cannot pass without paying taxes!" man snapped.

"Hell if we'll listen to you!" G snapped.

"G…" Giotto urged him to calm down. He only slightly nodded while Arianna and Asari turned to stare, only one question entering their mind. Is he insane? They had no money for themselves especially not for extra taxes for mafia families!

"What the hell are you doing, Giotto?" G snapped on his friend's ear. They were ordered to step away from their stuff and their horses and to let the Cavallone men take them along to their headquarters and see what to do with them because Giotto strictly refused to give money.

"Cavallone is not a family I have heard of," Giotto mumbled back. "If I'm correct, they are a newly formed family. If so, it will be much easier to get a conversation with their godfather and talk this out."

"Wow. You thought this through pretty quickly," Arianna mumbled with a scowl, suspicious.

"Sorry, Nella. I just think this is better than fighting and running away. We might need friends to get to north," Giotto said silently. Arianna turned her head away and crossed her arms. No. She was not interested in talking to him at that moment, but she still couldn't deny that he was right.

"Che. Don't tell me you have a better plan," G mocked. Arianna side-glanced.

"Of course I have, fool," she commented sarcastically as the Cavallone men led them towards the manor.

"Don't even start, you two," Giotto landed a hand on each of their shoulders. "We still have a Cavallone Godfather to meet." Arianna and G looked at him, but finding they both did it, they turned their heads on opposite sides, both.

Asari smiled. "Maa maa, you're doing the same thing."

"Hell no," Arianna didn't even bother turning her head. G, however, did.

"To hell with all this!" he snapped. "Stop imitating me, stupid woman!"

"I'm not imitating you, idiot!"

"Wow. There's only a few of you and yet you're as loud as my whole family once it gathers. May I say that you're one entertaining traveler's group, despite that?"

Everyone's heads snapped towards a man leaning on doorstep of apparently one a bit larger house in the middle of the woods. He looked rather comfortable there.

"Come on, come on. Get inside," he moved away to let them pass. "My men won't take anything from you. Yet."

Looking at one another, what else could they do? Giotto stepped in first and G immediately followed. Asari gestured Arianna to go ahead which she did. Out of everyone, G was probably the most suspicious of the situation. But hey, since when was a mafia don offering someone to enter the house so openly?


	6. Meet the Cavallone

**Chapter 6**  
><strong>Meeting the Cavallone<strong>

"Come on, come on. Get inside," Don Cavallone gestured them to enter. "My men won't take anything from you for now."

Looking at one another, what else could they do? Although, that 'for now' sent shivers down their spine. Giotto stepped in first and G immediately followed. Asari gestured Arianna to go ahead which she did. Out of everyone, G was probably the most suspicious of the situation. But hey, since when was a mafia don offering someone to enter the house so openly? Moreover, casually?

"There, why are you all so silent now?" Don Cavallone asked as he gestured the group to take a seat. "Weren't you all bickering just a few seconds ago?"

Being the only one who probably could set the standards with the man of high virtue, Arianna decided to speak. "Well, sir, we have no knowledge of what to expect with you. Are you a friend or a foe?"

Well, honestly speaking, he didn't look like much of a foe. On the other hand, he didn't look like much of a friend either. Arianna could only tell that he had a few years to himself more than Giotto did, but he still looked young. His hair was blonde but short. It had a few curls, but also that golden shine to it. His eyes were soft amber and… he reminded her of Louis. She bit her lip and looked away. Nope. He didn't really look like Louis… but for some reason he reminded her of him.

"Well, I am certainly not your foe, Miss…?"

"…Nella."

"Ah, Miss Nella. As I said, I'm utmost certainly not your foe. What I am is probably not what you would call a friend either." He looked at each of them honestly.

Well, they figured out as much. There was long silence, which Giotto decided to interrupt. "Who knows? We still know nothing about your intentions-"

"True, true!" Cavallone Don chuckled, not letting him finish.

Asari turned to Arianna only to find her looking back. They both had a same thing in mind. That man had too much of a laid-back attitude. But not only that, he seemed to be having fun. This was exactly the thing that made them feel as if they were walking on needles. That man was weird.

"Is anyone wishing for a drink?" Don Cavallone offered.

"If you have a glass of water, it would do great," Giotto said honestly.

_No, Giotto. That is not how you talk to a Mafia Don, even if you are trying to be honest. _Giotto shoved the thought from his mind. It was as if his own mind was talking to him, and well, if it weren't for the fact he was having a conversation with the fresh Mafia Don, he would've probably been having fun.

"Yes, I follow." Arianna nodded softly.

"And the other young gentlemen, what would you like?" Cavallone don asked softly.

"Nothing," G silently growled. His stomach ached for anything, but the fact that the stupid woman requested for water pushed him away from the idea of drinking completely.

"I'd go for green tea, but since it is not easy to be found around here, I'll be satisfied with a glass of water as well," Asari said with one of his soft smiles.

"Oh, I see then. Claudia," he waved to a woman who was standing aside in the shadows, not even seen until now. "Three glasses of water, then, and something heavy." Woman nodded, leaving the room. "Oh, yes. Where is my mind? I have forgotten all about the introductions. So, how about we start from the left?"

G groaned inwardly, realizing he was sitting on the man's left side. "G," he grumped only. So why were they talking to this dude again?

"My name is Giotto. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"You already know my name, Don Cavallone." Arianna nodded again.

"Yes indeed, Miss Nella. You have a very lovely accent."

She wanted to roll her eyes … just why did he have to bring it up? She knew her accent _sucked._ "I have been raised on North."

Don Cavallone nodded, his eyes setting on Asari now. But there was that look he sent at her that made Arianna feel very exposed.

"My name is Asari Ugetsu. It truly is a pleasure, Don Cavallone."

"The pleasure is all mine," Don Cavallone smiled at all of them honestly. "Am I wrong if I say that you come from Japan?"

Asari nodded. "I indeed am from Japan. You're an intelligent man."

Giotto wished for the man to stop smiling. The more he was smiling, the more Giotto had a feeling that in return for his hospitality, he was going to ask for something more than just a polite 'thank you'. In addition, the lone way he was speaking to Arianna made him just want to get the girl out of the room for her own good. Judging by the look in her eyes, Arianna wished for the same.

"We still hadn't heard of your name, Don Cavallone," Giotto pointed out. Arianna tugged his shirt but Giotto tried to ignore. Okay. Judging by her accusing look, maybe he wasn't supposed to say that.

"True, true." Don Cavallone didn't seem to take offense, though. "It is Francesco Della Cavallone Riva. It is a true long one, I know. You may call me by my first name only."

"We couldn't do that, Don Cavallone. You are someone on much higher position than we are." Arianna spoke softly. Along the way, she smirked at G who scowled at her, just to spite her.

"Here is the water, Sir," Claudia, brining in three large cups on the tray along with one bottle of what appeared to be whiskey and two other empty cups next to it.

"Thank you, Claudia. You may leave now."

Claudia only nodded, her presence once again lost from the room. Arianna observed the woman as she was leaving. In face, she reminded her of her sister, despite being much older.

"Which brings us again, is anyone here willing to drink?" Don Cavallone raised the bottle of whiskey.

While Asari, Arianna and Giotto only blinked in confusion, G decided to take the drink. He might as well need it. Who cared if he refused earlier?

"And you, Don Giotto? Miss Nella? Don Asari?" Don Cavallone asked, offering the whiskey to them.

Giotto started, "W-we're not really-"

"We are still too young for stuff such as that, Don Cavallone," Arianna amended. "However, we have no much time to waste. You have brought us here for conversation, Don Cavallone. Shall we pass onto the real conversation, other than just plain formalities?"

Amusement flickered in Giotto's eyes. He needed to remember not to underestimate Arianna just because she was a spoiled child from a rich family, as G called her at times. Probably, he alone would keep too silent about passing through the real thing fast enough, but then again, it was Arianna who was in a hurry to reach the North. However, Don Cavallone seemed to have the very same amusement awakened.

"I like this more… plain, version of you, Miss Nella. Very well then, since you requested, let's move onto my true desires. That is, for the four of you to become members of my Family. I feel that you could be very valuable if I were to give you a chance. However, the decision is up to you to bring."

Reactions were instantaneous. All heads snapped towards Giotto while he looked at Arianna for the rescue. But meeting with G's pissed look, Asari's worried and Arianna's pleading, he only had one answer to come up with.

"Hopefully, you won't take it as an offense, Don Cavallone, but we cannot join the Cavallone Family."

Strangely, those words felt really easy to say.

Giotto could feel the tension from his friends weaken. Yes. It was the right decision. But for the first time Don Cavallone seemed to be utterly displeased. Much of his good nature had disappeared from his face and Giotto could feel Arianna tense up again.

"And why would you give a response such as that, Don Giotto?" his eyes flickered in suppressed anger.

Well, saying that it was because they were heading for France so that they would send Arianna to Britain definitely was not a good answer to give, and Giotto's intuition agreed with him. It was a heart-warming feeling to know that. Also, saying that they weren't willing to be a part of the mafia could also bring trouble, his intuition had spoken. He took a deep sigh. Saying that they were a vigilant group fighting against the criminals would only bring them in more trouble, but if they were to say that they already belonged to another mafia family, it could-

That could bring them to become prisoners, but still, it felt like the safest direction so far. As long as he was to choose a false name for a family, of which no one had heard, that is.

"We are already members of mafia," Giotto clearly said.

G choked on his whiskey. Asari looked at him in surprise. Arianna's mouth were opening and closing but no words were coming out. "You have probably not heard of it, but there is another newly formed family on north. We are some of the younger members sent to investigate the situation on the south, war in between Walsh and Reno. Now we are heading back home."

G started choking on his drink again while Arianna's voice now became hearable. "W-why did you… say that? Giotto! That was supposed to remain secret!"

Oh well, at least she caught up on the game. Asari did too judging by the knowing smile that he placed on his face while Don had his eyes going in between Giotto and Arianna.

"Che… what if we have to kill him now, Giotto?" G said in husky voice.

Giotto couldn't help a smile that hovered on his face when he turned to G. "I believe it won't come down to that, right, Don Cavallone?"

Well, he still didn't seem to be completely convinced. "What is your family name, Don Giotto?"

Giotto continued smiling, but inwardly he started panicking. He hadn't come to that part yet! A name for a mafia family…? A name for a mafia family! Most were now consisted in either Boss' last names or an animal. _An animal… it sounds good. But… ah… I have an idea. _With his voice composed and calm to the fullest, Giotto said shortly, "Vongola."

Neither of his friends breathed for a second. Don Cavallone caught on that with no trouble and aimed in questioning, but Arianna was just as fast.

"W-why did you-? Giotto, we were supposed to hide that!" she burst at him.

Giotto resisted the urge to chortle. Her acting skills were fast, but desperate. Struggling to keep his face serious, he made it simple. "It is of no use to lie anymore. Nor is there a need to hide."

"Che. Now we'll absolutely have to kill him," G snorted.

"Idiot, we're not here to hurt, especially not kill anyone!" Arianna burst out.

"I know that, stupid woman! But since he now knows what he isn't supposed to-"

"How many times did I tell you not to call me stupid? You show no signs of progressing with that, however. You still act like an undisciplined brat!"

"Speak for yourself, brat. Acting all important when all you know is to talk!"

"Well I at least know something, you uneducated fool!"

"Giotto, I think she crossed all the limits now," Asari silently whispered in his ear.

Giotto nodded in agreement. "Nella, G. Stop. Your bickering in this precise moment is making more damage than what it is supposed to. We still need to find a solution for the current matters."

"If he weren't the killing obsessed and brainless idiot, it might not have come to this," Arianna said clearly.

"All I did was stating my opinion, spoiled brat! If you already don't know, you have no obligation to actually say anything!" G scoffed.

"G!" Giotto called. "It's not the time or the place for this kind of argument. Settle the differences later. We still have another matter to solve."

"Like always!" both hissed at one another, and Giotto could swear there was electricity sparkling when their eyes met. Okay, so maybe they weren't trying to act anymore…

"Hm… is this now supposed to make me send you home without me gaining anything?" Don Cavallone asked quirkily.

Giotto looked at him sternly, coming up with an answer being near impossible. All he could come up with was 'no, but…' and then he had nothing to say.

Fortunately, Arianna took over. "No, it is not. We have been hoping it wouldn't come to this, but if you were to stand in our way of return, we will have to break through. However, then you would stand no chance of winning."

"Oh, is it so?"

"Yes. We still may be unknown to you, but we have strong allies. I believe you don't wish war with the Shimon family, which is one of the mafia families supporting us."

Events that followed were not what Giotto was hoping for, but in honest thinking, it was probably for the best. Calling for his men, Don Cavallone had signed them to return their things and horses to Giotto and his friends, saying that their passage through Cavallone land had been approved of, although, he had also forbidden them to ever cross paths again. It was… quite odd.

"I didn't know Cozart's family was that important," Giotto mumbled in thought once they were outside, back on their horses.

"Neither did I," Arianna sighed, tightly holding him. "It was a lucky shot."

Sending one look of awe at Arianna, Giotto helped her get on the horse. "You know, you'll have to teach me to talk like that."

He expected for an energetic response, but Arianna looked rather sad.

"Nella? What's the matter?" Asari asked softly from their left.

"It is nothing," Arianna sighed. "It's well… it is something, but it's silly…"

"You can tell us," Giotto said.

"But it's really stupid…"

"Well you already are a stupid woman," G added from their right.

"Thank you on your support, G," Arianna said in a very silent voice.

"It's okay, Nella-chan. You can tell us anything," Asari said.

Arianna sighed deeply, deciding to take his word. "Okay… For years, my mother had been saying to me that formal speech is something I will most absolutely need in my life. For years, I have been telling her that it won't. Now I see how wrong I was." Her voice sounded sad. "See, I told you it was stupid."

"Che… That's not it, now is it?" G scoffed.

Arianna seemed to ignore the tune of his voice while sending a look of hate at him. "And… Don Cavallone… sort of reminded me of Louis…"

No one had a retort to that, seeing that Arianna was growing to be depressed. She, however, continued. "I'm all right. I just… can't wait to be there…"

Asari and Giotto softly smiled at her. "Don't worry, Nella-chan. We are surely going to help you."

Arianna's smile brightened a little. "Thank you, guys. You most certainly are the best people I have ever met."

"You're not that bad yourself," Giotto said with a smile.

"Thanks… I guess." Arianna exhaled, leaning her head against Giotto's back. "I'm going to get some sleep. I hope you don't mind…"

"It's all right. You should rest. There's a long journey ahead of us."


	7. Catch the ship part I

**Chapter 7**  
><strong>Catch the ship<strong>  
><strong>Part I<strong>

"Oh my god!" Arianna gasped. "I-It's beautiful!"

"It truly is," Asari agreed.

_No. It is more than just beautiful,_ was what Arianna wanted to say, but no words were coming out. The sight before them was truly magnificent. Sky was colliding with the beautiful and shiny blue sea. Cliffs looking incredibly dangerous were what stopped Arianna from going closer, but still… it was fantastic. The long coastline was what made her feel happy. That odd air she was breathing made her want to squeal. And the plants before them… it was amazing. Truly magnificent.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but we're heading on the other side," G grunted from behind, being next to Giotto, who was tapping his horse while Asari and Arianna were sitting on Asari's horse.

"I know… but I've never seen anything… this perfect. It is better than any picture my father had bought ever," Arianna muttered in awed voice, still admiring.

"Of course it is, stupid. Original is always much better than the copy!" G burst out.

"Don't start fighting now, you two," Giotto called. "We still have an hour before we arrive to that town," Giotto pointed at the opposite side from the sea.

"It'll be faster if we have a race!" Arianna grinned.

"Nella," Giotto's voice was warning.

"Che! I'm in!" G shouted.

"Sounds exciting!" Asari said with a smile.

"Three to one, Giotto!" Arianna grinned.

Giotto only held his hand on his forehead. "Do you guys have to be so troublesome?"

"It wouldn't be us if we weren't." Arianna winked. She seemed to be extra cheerful for the day.

"Sad truth…" Giotto sighed. "All right, then. Three."

"Two," Arianna continued.

"One!" G exclaimed. "GO!"

And their race started. G was the one to take the lead. Asari and Giotto tried bypassing, but it was more than just impossible. They had no idea when or how, but G got so much better in horse riding that it was becoming scary. So generally, he arrived to the 'finish line' first.

"I told you it'll be faster!" Arianna grinned at Giotto once they arrived in town. Being the last one to arrive, Asari and Arianna were supposed to stay behind and watch the horses while the others were in town, looking for transport to Italy.

"Oh… I also need a hair dye you guys! Black! Don't forget it. I don't need it yet, my hair hadn't grown that much, but I do need it since I have no idea when we'll arrive… wherever we're going…" Her voice went from extra loud to relevantly low.

"The hell! How am I supposed to know how the hair dye looks?" G snapped. "Besides, why do you need to dye your hair, anyway? It was only a cover back in town! You don't need it anymore!"

"I do need it!" Arianna shouted. "I really do! You may not believe it, but I do! We're still in Sicily, silly. My family might find me and… they may recognize me. Sure, under condition they're even looking for me…"

"Well they were looking for you," Asari pointed out.

Arianna rolled her eyes, then setting them on G. "See why I need it?"

He grunted unwillingly. "I know nothing of hair dyes, idiot."

"Then how about you and Arianna going to get the transportation while Asari and I stay behind and take care of the horses," Giotto suggested.

"No way!" Arianna and G shouted at the same time.

"It's okay, Giotto. You go with them. I'll be okay on my own," Asari smiled. "I also get peace and quiet to play the flute."

Giotto wasn't very thrilled, but he agreed. "We'll be going then, Asari. We should be back by the sunset."

"No problem," Asari smiled and waved at them. "Have fun."

"Yeah, right. Have fun…" G grunted. For some reason, Arianna looked rather entertained, placing a smile on her face.

"You know, guys, other than Sunderland and your town, I've never been in any other. I know it sounds crazy, but it's really true," Arianna mumbled dazedly as they walked into a street market. "And it really feels good that I'm not alone," she added, seeing that none of the two was answering.

Giotto and G looked at each other, none exactly sure of what they were supposed to say, until G grumbled. "Well, not that we ever left the town either, idiot."

"You didn't?" Arianna turned to him, suddenly brightened. Giotto noticed that it was one of those curiosity attacks of hers, when she would let herself entirely ignore G's rudeness and ask a normal question. Needless to say, it did not happen often.

"No, not really," Giotto interjected before G got to comment rudely.

"Then… don't think I'm rude or that I don't trust you, just… how do you know which way we should go to reach, well, where we're going?" Arianna looked puzzled.

"We have a map, rigid idiot!" G blurted out.

"Oh…" Arianna's mouth opened in a slight 'o' and remained that way for a while.

"What? Don't tell me it never occurred to you that we might have a map, fool?" G snapped.

"Hey! I've never seen that map!" Arianna snapped, quickly regaining herself. "How was I supposed to know you have it? Besides, you seem like you know many things so it never occurred to me that I _should _ask! You don't have to be rude about it, jackass!"

"Now who's being rude?" G spat, clearly irritated. "You should learn how to keep your mouth shut when you have nothing better to say!"

"You two…" Giotto sighed, shaking his head in dismissal. "We're in public."

Arianna obliviously shot back at G, ignoring Giotto. "Well it was you who started it! And I have much to say, now when you've pointed it out!"

"Right! So go ahead, brat!"

"Don't call me brat, you dork!"

"Why you bitch-" G stopped, feeling a hand lay on his shoulder. First, he blinked in confusion, seeing that Giotto and Arianna were standing a step too far to do that. Dismissing the confusion, he turned on his heel. "What?" he spat into a face of a stranger. Not that he initially cared.

"You may want to stop insulting the lady," the stranger said, nodding his head lightly at Arianna.

She cocked her head, taken aback, and bluntly replied, "Thank you?"

Giotto was just as taken aback just as much as she was, although he regained his composure far faster than she did. Regardless, G reacted before him. "The hell? Who do you think you are? God's angel sent to protect the not-innocent human beings?" he spat.

Arianna blinked with amusement clear in her eyes. She was amused enough to let the indirect insult that G spat at her slip.

"I like to think of myself as Knuckle, thank you very much," the stranger, Knuckle, responded. "And no, I don't think of myself being worthy enough of being God's angel."

"Che! I don't freaking care!" G crossed his arms.

"Ah, the defensive act. So you are uneasy with my presence here," Knuckle remarked, slightly entertained.

Arianna sent one rather enthusiastic look at the stranger, checking him from head to toe. There was nothing special about him; regular clothes, regular looks, bit taller than her own companions. Okay, a bit of the spiky black hair was a bit odd to her, since she was used to a spiky blonde, flat redhead and a tall-hat Asian, but he wasn't _that_ odd. In addition, his age probably matched G's and Giotto's age.

On the other hand, maybe he was just a bit older…Year or two, perhaps.

Arianna's smile just seemed to grow as she noticed a slightly amused face on Giotto, too, though he said nothing. She couldn't help but feel like chuckling at G's face. It was priceless, seeing G raise his guard.

"The hell not! Who, for the _love of God_, are you?" G yelled.

"Ah, don't use god's name in vain." Knuckle countered softly, but dangerously. "And I think I already said who I was. Now if you'd care not to be rude to the lady-"

"Don't mind him," Arianna interjected, seeing how much the stranger misunderstood. She smiled. "G is just a jerk like that. We always bicker." Her smile only widened at Knuckle's confusion and G's irritation.

"It's true," Giotto said quickly. "It's… becoming way too regular," he added grudgingly, lowering his head.

"Oi! No need for you to get upset about it, Giotto!" G remarked, noticing his friend's reaction.

"Really," Arianna agreed quickly. "It's nothing but a good-natured bickering." She smiled brightly.

"Good to see you two agree about something," Giotto mumbled.

Arianna and G slightly eyed each other, and, as if on cue; "We're not!"

Giotto let out a light-hearted laugh.

"Well, you just agreed on another thing, now," Knuckle pointed out, also laughing lightly. "Well, I'm sorry for pushing myself where I wasn't needed, Miss. I have my own path to follow now. Who knows, we may extremely cross paths in future." He nodded at the three, walking of in the opposite direction from them.

"Aw, too bad. Sometimes really comes in handy having a gentleman around," Arianna said jokingly.

"The hell with it!" G snapped at her. "We're not your fucking knights, brat!"

"I never said I thought of you that way, _knight_." Arianna grinned. "Anyways, I still have a hair-dye to buy. I love this hair color."

"So that's why you want the damn dye?" G snapped.

"Have a problem with that?" Arianna sneered in his direction.

"G." Giotto laid his hand on G's shoulder once he was about to retort. "We have a mission to do, remember?"

Grudgingly, G looked away from Arianna and shut up.

"Oh, and Nella?" Giotto called.

"Yes?" Arianna lightly turned around, obviously enjoying their re-started walk.

"Can you two sustain from fighting, at leas for twenty-four hours?" Giotto suggested. _Because if you could do that, maybe not everything would be in vain._

"Sure," Arianna grinned. "I can. Just tell G to watch his tongue. If he starts it, I'm definitely not going to stay quiet."

Giotto found it rather creepy of how _casually _Arianna said that. As if it was always G at fault… Oh, wait. It was G always. And he obviously bit his tongue to sustain from shooting back at her.

"Fine. I'm ignoring her from now on," said G. Underneath the sardonic tune, Giotto noticed something else, but he couldn't identify it.

Giotto sighed. It was far from being good, but it was better than nothing.

It took them a few hours to finish the shopping and find the dye Arianna was after. As they walked back to where they left Asari (although it took them much longer to find him than anything else), they decided to go and look over for a place to stay during night. They were fatigued from the trip, after all.

* * *

><p>"Now what?" G snapped, as the last motelbar they had found had no rooms available.

"Hm… there seem to be an event in town, since all the rooms are busy," Arianna noticed.

"How the hell is that going to help us find a place to stay at?" G snapped.

"Well, let's just split up and look separate," Giotto suggested slowly. In fact, he really disliked the idea, but this way at least someone had a chance of finding a place to sleep. All of them together had no chance of doing that. "G, you could go with Asari, and Nella could come with me?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," G said with a shrug.

"Agreed. It's better than staying in the streets for the night," Asari added.

"I also agree," Arianna said.

"Right… then we'll meet in the bay… at noon? Is that all right with you, G? Asari?" Giotto asked.

"Of course," G replied.

"Let's go, then," Giotto said. "Uh… Nella and I will be taking the left side…"

"We're going to the right, then," Asari replied.

"Who proclaimed you the leader?" G snapped at him.

"Calm down, G," Asari smiled good-naturedly.

Giotto only shook his head, knowing there was nothing he could do to stop them, and walked in the direction he had chosen, aware that Arianna was only one step behind him, waving in G's and Asari's direction. Somehow, it made him feel slightly calmer, although he couldn't tell why. Was it because Arianna and G hadn't had a fight for almost an entire day, excluding the morning? Or was it because that feeling… that intuition… deep inside of him, felt calmer for the first time ever since he had become aware of it?

"Want to try it out here?" Arianna suggested, pointing at another random café.

"Wait, Nella," he called after her, once she tried walking towards it. She stopped, turning to look at him.

"Yes?" she asked her hand still in air.

"You look exhausted," said Giotto. With the help of the spectral streetlight, she looked even scarier than underneath the sun. There were very dark circles around her her eyes, and her face looked oddly worn and dried out.

She quickly turned her head away from him. "It's nothing, Giotto. Really. I'm just not used to the journeys like this."

With a sigh, he nodded and ruffled her hair, catching her by surprise. She only stared at him. He didn't know what she saw in his face that made her look so frightened, but it didn't even matter at that moment. Because there was something he needed to ask… at that very same moment.

"And… what about those bruises?" His eyes followed the dark traces on her arms, which were successfully hidden by the long sleeves of her dress. But since she she was too hot from all the walking, she had them folded… making them visible to his eyes, and everyone else's.

All the color that had formerly remained in Arianna's face washed out, as her mouth slowly opened. She really wanted to delay answering to that question.


	8. Catch the ship part II

**Chapter 8**  
><strong>Catch the ship<strong>  
><strong>Part II<strong>

"And… what about those bruises?"

All the color drained from Arianna's face when she heard that. She opened her mouth slightly in order to answer, but then closed them quickly. Tears dwelled in her eyes and she quickly looked away from his pain-filled eyes.

"I-it's nothing, Giotto. Really. Please don't be worried about it," she said in strangely hoarse voice. She couldn't bear facing him… after lying that way. However, there was no way she could let him know. Not yet.

"All right," Giotto said slowly, uncertainly. "But… if anyone has been hurting you-"

"It's nothing like that!" Arianna exclaimed in panic. "Really! It's nothing like that at all! Please, just leave it. I promise I'll explain it to you, but I most absolutely can't do it just yet!"

"You can trust me," was the only thing he said.

"I know…" Arianna said, still not looking at his face. "But this has nothing to do with trust. I'm just not ready to share it yet…" _and it would rather crush my resolve._

"All right," Giotto said silently. The rest of the night, they'd spent looking for a place to stay at, and they had successfully found it after an hour of search.

Letting Arianna take the bed, and he himself taking the armchair, he watched as she slipped off to sleep. About one thing he was sure. Something was far from being right. He just wasn't sure how to approach it yet.

* * *

><p>The morning had arrived quickly enough. They met up with Asari and G in the bay at the scheduled time, planning on how to continue their journey, when G came up with an idea.<p>

"See that ship over there?" he asked, pointing in one of the ships that had the biggest crowd around it. "It is leaving for France in two hours. Marseille, to be precise. If we get on it, it'll shorten our way to France for several weeks, and it will be easier to move from there."

"Do we have money to afford that thing?" Arianna asked eagerly. Her eyes gleamed. She was certainly in the mood for the plan! Who cared if it was G who came up with it.

"If we'd sell horses and most of the stuff, then yes. We would have enough for the tickets. We have to be fast, though," said Asari.

"We can be persuasive, right?" Arianna asked quickly. She was trying hard to cover her sudden burst of energy, but it was hard. She felt like she should've started jumping already. "We _have _to be persuasive!"

"Well, we're short on time," Giotto started.

"Doesn't matter!" Arianna squeaked. "I have a plan! We split and go around selling everything… horses, clothes, cooking tools! Everything except for one pair of decent shirts and pants; dress in my case! In forty-five minutes exactly, we meet here and buy the tickets!"

"You do know that it might not work out?" G eyed her skeptically.

"Well, I'll go sell my earrings too," Arianna quickly said. "I mean, I got them from my mom. I overheard her saying that they cost a fortune." Removing her short hair behind her ears, she revealed two shiny red stones in something oddly looking like silver.

"Is that ruby?" Asari asked, eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, I think," said Arianna, taking it off and looking at it carefully. "Any idea where we could sell it?"

"Pawnshop," Asari said. "I saw one while we were coming here."

"Good!" Arianna jumped. She grabbed his hand, placing two shiny earrings in his hands. "You go to the pawnshop then, and we'll sell the horses and the rest. Remember, we're short on time!"

Asari could only nod at her positive energy, moving in the direction of the pawnshop he saw before. The other three turned on the other side, heading to the market.

"Don't sell my flute, please!" he called after them.

G seemed to scoff, and Giotto said something to him, Asari couldn't hear. All he heard was Arianna's shout, "We won't!" That helped him feel rather at ease.

* * *

><p>Arriving to the market, they had to split up <em>again<em>. Arianna, this time, stayed with G in order to sell horses, while Giotto took the rest of the things and went to sell them on the other side of the market.

Standing sullenly in the middle of the crowd, G and Arianna were silent.

"So… what are we supposed to do now?" she asked silently. "Yell, like the rest of the merchants, or hope that someone is going to realize why we're standing here and approach us?"

Grudgingly, G admitted, "I'd bet on the option two."

"Yeah… me too," Arianna said darkly, lowering her head. "Oh well." She took a deep breath.

"HORSES ON SALE!" she bellowed.

G flinched from her, covering his ears, just as the rest of the people around them did. Even horses followed the suit. "Are you fucking nuts? You'll blow my eardrums rather than sell the damn horses!"

She observed him, unfazed. "Well we're supposed to let people know that we're selling them, aren't we?"

"We're not supposed to destroy their eardrums in the process!" G hissed.

"But we didn't," she said matter-of-factly.

"No, of course we didn't. _You_ did."

"Now that's just evil, G. I'm the one investing in this the most."

"That's because it's you who wants to go overseas in the first place!"

"And I'm buying you tickets to come along! You should be at least a little bit grateful for that."

"Isn't that your way of thanking us for everything we've done for you since we've met your filthy ass?"

"Watch your tongue! My ass is so not filthy, you mentally disabled asshole!"

"Oh, right. I forgot. You're one damn little spoiled princess who needs to have everything she wants!"

"Well it's human to have things you want to achieve in life and do everything you have to make your dreams come true!"

"Except that not every dream needs to become true!"

"Why not? If you have the means to make them true, why not using them? You're practically wasting your life if you don't!"

"Wasting your life means sitting down and watching the world spin while you sit in place, not what you're thinking!"

"How do you know what I'm thinking? You know nothing so don't talk as if you know anything!"

"I know that you're a spoiled brat, that's for sure!"

"And you're an asshole! Worst of the kind!"

"Uh… excuse me?"

G and Arianna had turned in the direction of the voice almost instantly, only to face a shorter grandpa with white hair, flinching away from them with frightened look in his eyes.

"Yes?" Arianna asked a bit too harshly.

"How much did you say the price was?" he asked in shivering voice.

"Price?" She blinked.

"Seventy Liras per one horse," G interjected.

"Eh? What?" Arianna stared at him. She's been paying for one cup of tea damn ten Liras and G wanted to sell a_ horse_ for _seventy_.

The small man flinched again. "U-uh… I'll buy one, then…"

Arianna's head flashed in the man's direction. One _only_? This was really not her day.

* * *

><p>Shortly after he separated from G and Arianna, Giotto had found himself a nice spot in the large market place. Sitting next to the wall, he spread the stuff he was about to sell in front of him, waiting. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.<p>

"Horses on sale!" he could hear the familiar voice. Chuckle escaped his lips. It would be a miracle if there were someone who didn't hear.

So all he could do now was wait.

After five minutes only, a young woman approached. It had to be the prettiest girl he had ever seen. She seemed to be young, probably about his age, with golden blonde hair falling down in perfect waves. It reached somewhere to her waist. Her hands that seemed so delicate were placed on her hips while she was curiously evaluating one of Arianna's old dresses that Nanny and she bought. Her face was soft, smooth and beautiful, with two shiny blue eyes that showed off the untold excitement.

In calm, kind voice, she asked, "How much is the red dress?"

Giotto blinked for a second. He never really thought of the price. Looking down on the mentioned dress, he tried to evaluate it himself but he never really knew how the prices went for the female clothes. "Uh… a hundred?" he offered.

The girl had one of her perfect brows high up in her forehead. The look she was giving him was rather suspicious. "Are you absolutely sure, Mister?"

Was that too cheap? Or was it too expensive? Giotto had no idea. Scratching the back of his head, he said, "Yeah…"

His intuition did not agree.

"Right…" her voice was suspicious. Grin erupted on her face. "I'll take it then!" she said cheerfully, placing the bill of a hundred in his hand and taking the dress. He could swear that she was jumping in excitement.

"Elena, what are you doing? We're supposed to be on the ship!" someone called from the crowd.

"I'm coming!" the girl shouted. She nodded brightly at Giotto. "Thanks!" and then she was gone.

He cocked his head for a second. What was she thanking him for?

Before he could even think about it, a few other people gathered to buy some things. By the time they were gone, Giotto was left with two spoons, one hunting knife, Arianna's dye and Asari's flute (which he successfully hid from the greedy buyers) and his own clothes.

Seeing that his selling time had expired, he jumped on his feet and marched in the bay direction. Asari, G and Arianna were already waiting there, together with two horses.

"How did it go?" Asari asked cheerfully.

Giotto showed the number of bills that he tucked in his pockets to keep them on safe. "You?"

"Let's just say that we didn't really have to sell anything in order to buy things." Asari winked.

For some reason, Arianna and G were radiating gloomy atmosphere, both looking down in their feet. Concernedly, Giotto turned to Asari. "Did they bicker again?" Bright smile on Asari's face didn't really answer the question.

"Let's just say that they weren't as lucky as we were." He winked again, ear-to-ear grin.

"Is anyone going to explain that?" Giotto asked. Now he was really being worried. What could happen so scary to have them both look as depressed?

Arianna seemed to snap. "Let's just get the damn tickets. Talk after."

Asari willingly left to buy the four tickets for them in the last few minutes. They had boarded on the ship in the last seconds by what it seemed to be pure luck. On the ship, they received two cabins, each with two beds. Arianna tried begging for a cabin for herself, but the service on the ship didn't seem to buy it.

In the end, she agreed to share a cabin with Asari. Still, she was far from satisfied.

"Right… so we have one hundred forty that G and I got on horses, two thousand that Giotto earned selling the stuff and ten thousand seven hundred twenty five from my earrings. Good. Meaning, in total, we have twelve thousand eight hundred sixty five Liras. Not bad," Arianna said after counting everything in her and Asari's cabin. "In fact, we're pretty damn good. Now I get what my mom meant when she said those earrings were worth a fortune."

"Hell, with this we'll never have to worry about money again." G declared. Everyone (including G) simultaneously nodded.

"Least now we can buy decent stuff and all…" Arianna said. "Hm… seeing how this goes, I could probably sell my ring too."

"You have another source of easy cash?" G demanded, staring at her. "Couldn't you share that earlier?"

Messing a bit with her hands, Arianna showed them an enormous ring with sapphire in circle shape, plated with gold. "I just never thought of it before. Those were all family heritage and I guess I forgot how valuable those things are. If I had known that the earrings were going to be worth of twenty thousand Liras I would've definitely sold them earlier."

"I guess it's a good thing you hadn't," said Giotto. "I have a feeling we wouldn't have enough money to get on this boat then."

Arianna smiled goofily. "You're probably right. At least we now have two weeks to rest before we arrive to France. Though, what about that plan regarding that visit to your friend?" she looked at Giotto concernedly.

Giotto paused, along with everyone else. Somehow, they all forgot about the visit to Shimon in Italy. Finally, Giotto sighed. "We can do that when during return."

Arianna nodded. "I guess you're right. Oh well." Stretching on her bed, she lazily added, "We are so going to rest from all the bad stuff that happened now."

Four simultaneous nods, followed by silence.

Giotto was probably the only one who, deep inside, knew how wrong that statement really was.


	9. Happy reunion

**Chapter 9**  
><strong>Happy reunion<strong>

"I'll have a lobster and an orange juice, please," Arianna said to the waiter, standing next to their table. The girl nodded.

"I'd prefer green tea and some sushi, if you have," Asari ordered with his trademark smile. The girl nodded again.

"I'll have an omelet and lemonade," Giotto said with a genuine smile. The girl nodded promptly, her head already in mess of what was going to whom.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to G. The redhead scoffed. "I'll have a large cheese pizza and a beer."

Nodding again, she was quickly gone away from their table.

Arianna seemed as if she was just waiting for that. She raised a questionable brow at G. "A large cheese pizza and a beer," she mimicked. "_You_, dear G, are going to be _so_ fat. Like a whale." Her indifferent face broke out into a large grin.

G crossed his arms on his chest and scoffed. "No, I am not."

"But you will!" Arianna was persistent. "See, there was this study in Britain, last year. They say that pizza is one of the meals that fatten people the most! Combined with beer, oh you're going to be like a whale!"

"Zip it, brat."

"G is a whale! G is a whale!"

"Want me to get this knife into your throat?" G snapped, seriously grabbing the knife next to his plate and threateningly raising it in her direction.

Arianna was unfazed, continuing on the song.

Asari leaned over to Giotto. "Did you see her drink anything out of the ordinary this morning?" he asked silently.

Giotto shook his head no. "I only saw her drink water. Perhaps she took a sip of G's brandy for breakfast. She never seemed like the type to hold liquor."

"That's because we never saw her drink alcohol," Asari reasoned. "We can only ask her, right? Otherwise I think G is going to pummel her."

Giotto stared at Asari, confused at his friend's choice of word. G wasn't really going to pummel Arianna. He turned to look at his best friend, whose face was slowly turning red, and not in embarrassment.

Turning back to Asari, he gulped. On the other hand, maybe he was.

"Here are your orders," the girl who previously took their orders said, putting down, with three other girls, the food they've ordered.

Giotto observed Arianna and G with a corner of his eye, glad that both had their attention on their food and drinks rather than even genuinely talking – arguing, actually. Somehow, G not snapping at her the way he usually did was a surprise. Nonetheless, Giotto didn't want to look gift-horse in the mouth.

However, he had gotten to find out why G was acting tolerant only several minutes later.

As it turned out, Giotto's guess was right. Arianna, apparently, drank more than the half of G's brandy. He was holding back his anger because she was drunk. According to him, drunken people are no challenge so he'll wait for her to straighten out before smacking her. And those words were what came out of his mouth. Literally.

And judging by the way G was looking at her; she wasn't going to stay alive for long.

So right after he noticed that she finished her lunch, he grabbed her hand, dragged her to her cabin and locked her inside. For the first five minutes, she was screaming at him to let her go, but then she found staring through the small window much more interesting. Giotto had to admit that he sighed in relief when she did that.

Seeing he had nothing better to do on his second day of the trip, he walked over on the deck, leaning on the fence, watching across the enormous but empty water surface, glittering in the sun that was high up in the sky.

It felt truly relaxing, after everything he had been through for the precious month.

"Oh, well, well, well. What did I do to earn this pleasure?" a voice came from his right.

He blinked, snapping his head away from the lovely picture, only to find a person in a very recognizable red dress standing next to him. He had no idea what he was supposed to say.

The beautiful blonde was standing there, smiling in such a smug way that it was starting to become creepy. "I should've known there was something odd with you when you sold me this dress for one hundred. So it turns out you're a stalker. Incredible." She was still smiling, but from the tone of her voice, Giotto couldn't tell whether she was joking.

The way she burst out laughing the next second showed him that she was. He visibly relaxed.

"You should have seen your face!" she said in between laughs. "You've had this flabbergasted expression! Oh, I should have asked someone to take the photograph!"

"D-do I know you?" Giotto asked, though his voice didn't sound the way he wanted to. It sounded more as if he was frightened than anything else, and he didn't like it.

"Oh, my bad, I hadn't introduced myself. My name is Elena Eterno, and you are?"

"I'm Giotto," he said, offering a hand bluntly. She seemed impressed with that, accepting it and shaking. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, I could say the same thing. After all, it is not every day that I meet such interesting stalkers." Again, she was smiling brightly.

"I'm not a stalker, Miss Elena. I just happen to be escorting a friend to Britain and-" he was just so glad that she interject, since he already said too much.

"Escorting a friend," she repeated, "To Britain? Are you sure that you are on the correct ship? I strongly believe that this one is headed for France."

"Yes, this is the right ship. I am escorting a friend to Britain, but our first destination happens to be France," Giotto said. Deep in his mind, he noted to thank Arianna for giving him 'polite conversation' classes the previous few days.

"If you say so," Elena replied, smiling. "Well, I shall head back to my cabin now. It was a pleasure meeting you, Giotto. I sure hope that we will _happen _to have another conversation during these two weeks we're bound to spend on the same ship. Until then," she bowed slightly, excusing herself politely. She waved without actually looking at him before she disappeared through the nearest door.

Giotto sighed. That seemed to be like a beginning of one wonderful friendship.

* * *

><p>Arianna groaned, turning on her side. Finding that uncomfortable, she turned on the other side. Seeing that as uncomfortable as well, she decided that she had enough of attempting to sleep, sat up.<p>

The only light in the cabin was coming through the small window, probably from the moon and the stars. It seemed as if it was the middle of the night. How long did she sleep?

She remembered that she had breakfast with guys, and that she drank half of G's brandy. Because she liked the taste of it, she went to the bar and had a few more glasses. After that, everything was a blur. There was something about pizza and whales but she just couldn't remember what.

Grabbing the lamp that laid on the night table that was separating her bed from Asari's, she walked walked out of the cabin and lit it there, in the hallway, not wanting to wake up Asari with the light. She moved through the empty corridors until she reached the deck, and gasped in surprise.

Under the night sky, the sea was just incredible, exquisite, stunning.

She leaned over on the railing, staring down on how ship was going, casting a dark shadow on the water. There seemed to be some fishes, swimming along, trying to catch up with the ship. Arianna grinned widely. She put down the light and turned it off, enjoying the sight without it. She didn't need it.

However, it soon turned out that she wasn't the only one spending the time on the deck in the middle of the night. There were the sounds of footsteps and something that oddly sounded like kissing. Arianna rolled her eyes at her own foolishness. Of course, couples would come there for this sight. It was just beautiful like that.

She kind of froze when the kissing stopped and voices started.

"Seriously? France? Of all places in the world?" The girl sounded unsatisfied. Something in her voice oddly reminded Arianna of her sister, Victoria. She never liked France.

"Oh, come on. It's the best place, you'll see. The beaches there are beautiful, and then there's Paris, the city of love. You'll enjoy it, I promise, even if it were the last thing in my life." The guy's voice now reminded her of Daniel. He always talked that way, about making Victoria the happiest girl in the world.

It was funny how much she suddenly missed them.

"But France? For our honeymoon? I don't know… couldn't we just visit Italian Alps or something like that? Besides, Christmas is in a few weeks only. I wished to spend it with you _and_ my family."

It was funny how Arianna could see Victoria and Daniel, standing before her, in the empty middle of the deck, hugging. For a second, she almost believed it was true. She stifled a laugh, but the couple then realized that they weren't alone.

Two heads snapped in Arianna's direction, and under the light of the moon and the stars, she recognized both. In one same moment, various feelings rushed through her: happiness, excitement, fear, shock, loneliness and the urge to squeal and hug both of them until she broke their bones.

Instead, she miraculously fainted.

Once she opened her eyes again, there were two strong lights shinning on her both sides, almost blinding her. After that, the next thing she saw was a pair of two extremely familiar green eyes. Her stomach did a somersault. _Daniel._

She should've realized right away.

"Are you all right?" he asked in English, particularly caringly. Arianna could feel that he meant on more than just 'are you all right after you fainted' way of caring.

Still, her eyes widened. That was it. They found her. They found her and now she was going to have to go back to Sicily and she'll be locked in her room with no hopes of ever seeing Britain again, so she knew that she had to escape. She could not let that happen, yet she still wanted to wrap her hands around him tightly and cry.

Those two, knowledge and feeling were fighting, trying to overpower one another. It was probably the only reason she was still lying there, motionless, petrified.

"Silly," she heard Victoria's voice in English, somewhere in the background, jokingly. "What if she isn't speaking English? You probably scared her."

Now _that_ did not make sense.

Daniel also seemed to share Arianna's opinion. He turned to Victoria for a moment, and then turned back to Arianna.

"But, don't you-" he broke off, seeing the way Arianna's face suddenly went pale and eyes wider than ever.

Realization hit her. Daniel recognized her. Victoria didn't. For some reason, she felt as if there was a knife stabbed in her back.

"What did you say?" Victoria asked, densely. Daniel only shook his head.

Seeing the opening, Arianna jumped, along the way murmuring, "I'm sorry" in Italian, and disappearing behind the nearest door.

Managing back to her cabin, she realized that she left the lamp behind. But she could now care less about that. Throwing herself on the bed, she breathed heavily.

"Someone just shoot me. Now."

Unfortunately, the only good thing that the statement brought was that Asari woke up, asking what was wrong.

Arianna just shook her head as a sign that she couldn't talk. He didn't pry in, but he was obviously worried, so she promised to tell him in the morning. Until then, she stuck her head in her pillow, certain of only one thing. She was not going to leave the cabin. Not now. Not in the morning. Not ever.

Okay, so maybe not ever was a little bit exaggerated, but there was no way she was going to leave the cabin before she made sure that Victoria or Daniel were on the whole other side of the ship. Or preferably; world.


	10. How to be sneaky on a ship part I

A/N: I am alive. I have risen up from the dead and I have returned! No story is as of yet abandoned! I am going to continue them. All of them. Eventually. Anyways, I've finished this now after a long time and hopefully people are still reading this, well, let them enjoy. I have no idea when the next chapter is going to come out. Just know that I am not finished with writing! Not even close!

Oh, and I've also redone the previous chapters. Nothing is largely changed, I just fixed some grammar errors. The next I'm focusing on either the next chapter for this fic or the Elusive Souls. As I've said, I haven't abandoned anything!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>  
><strong>How to be sneaky on a ship<strong>  
><strong>Part I<strong>

"Had the brat elaborated already? I want my breakfast!" G snapped. He was sitting in the cabin with Giotto and Asari just walked in. He was very frustrated because the spoiled brat of Arianna did _not_ want to go for breakfast, and Giotto decided not to eat himself until she decided to talk. Seeing she didn't want to talk to either G or Giotto, they sent Asari in hopes he'd get her to say _something_.

Judging by the serious face Asari was putting and the lone fact that he had spent over twenty minutes talking to her, she did.

"So?" Giotto asked concernedly.

Asari sat on Giotto's bed and sighed. "This may turn out not to be such an easy journey, Giotto."

"Cut the crap and get to the point, flute-nerd!" G snapped. Giotto shot him a warning look.

"What do you mean? Did she get in trouble with the captain or security?" he asked.

"Worse," Asari said.

"Che. What worse could she do? Murder an old lady?" G asked flatly.

"She saw her sister and her sister's fiancée."

"Where? Here? On the ship?" Giotto asked. Asari nodded.

"Didn't the brat say that her sister's fiancé is Daniel Reno?" G cocked his eyebrow. "Like, the new boss of the Reno mafia family?"

Asari nodded. "That's the one. According to her, they are going on a honeymoon in France."

"Shit! Now what?"

"Nothing," Giotto said calmly. "We'll probably have to share our history with Reno to Arianna later, but for now, we do nothing."

"I don't think that is a good idea," G affirmed.

"This time around, I agree with G," Asari said. "Arianna said she didn't want to leave her cabin until we arrive and make sure that every other passenger is gone from the ship. She's pretty stubborn about it, too."

"That's not the problem here, flute-nerd! The problem is if Reno recognizes Giotto!" G practically yelled.

Asari frowned slightly.

"I don't think so," Giotto announced uncertainly, scratching the back of his head. "We have never seen Daniel Reno face to face. We avoided him because of the guards, didn't we? After all, they know us very well. What we should be worried about is whether the guards are with them on the ship or not…"

"I guess that sounds like a plan. But, what do we do with Arianna?"

Three teens stared in the floor in silence. Only a knock on the door snapped them out of the thinking phase. However, before either of them got a chance to stand up and open the door, the door opened with a loud thud and Arianna burst inside.

"I changed my mind!" she said, not even looking at either of them, just walking along the small cabin promptly. "I'm not going to sit, locked in the miniature cabin! I have a right to walk along this ship just as any other person!" She looked at the boys, as if she was looking for approval.

They only stared at her.

Unfazed, she continued in sweet voice, "But I'll need your help with that." She smiled.

"What? You think we're here just to make your every dream come true?" G snapped.

Arianna was, once again unfazed, ignoring him and smiling.

"What do you have in mind?" Giotto asked carefully.

"My hair color washed out a little," she pointed out, running her fingers through her hair, which was indeed, lighter than it had been when she first dyed it. Now, the shade was dark brown, but it wasn't equal everywhere. There were still the darker and the lighter parts.

Giotto wondered how he never noticed it before.

"Therefore," Arianna continued, "I'll need you guys to dye my hair. I can't do it myself."

"You want us to dye your hair?" G's face was unreadable, but he was rather resentful on the idea.

Arianna flashed a soft smile in his direction. "Thank you for offering all of your help, G, but I only need one person." And as if to prove her point, she nodded, and walked to the door. "I leave you guys to decide on it while I go get my hair-dye."

After she closed the door, Giotto found two intense looks directed in his head, which sort of bent down low under the mysterious pressure. "Shall we draw the sticks?"

Asari and G exchanged looks.

"I'd go for rock-paper-scissors instead," G said.

"I'm with G on this one," Asari said. "We all know how you always win with the sticks."

Giotto groaned, defeated. "Fine. Rock paper scissors it is."

G and Asari had spent the next few minutes, before Arianna showed up, staring at Giotto intently. Giotto could only smile innocently, looking at Arianna for help. She, however, didn't notice what happened.

"What?" asked Arianna bluntly, looking back at Giotto in askance.

G cringed. "He won."

"He won what?" Arianna asked, still ignorant of their game. "Never mind that. So who is going to help me?"

Asari smiled at her, saying, "G, of course."

G's face seemed slightly awed and angry as he looked at Giotto. "How come you _always_ win?"

Giotto smiled nervously. "Intuition, perhaps?"

"That's some damn hyper intuition you have there," G muttered.

Arianna chuckled. "Let's start, then! Roll your sleeves, G!"

G grumbled but did so. He knew how to be respectful. Taking the dye in his hands, he stared at it in disgust. And stared. He stared until Arianna punched his shoulder with a brow high in her forehead, asking, "Are you going to start using it in this century?"

"There are no damn instructions on how to use this!" G spat.

Arianna rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. "All you need to do is sip it in your hands and then on my hair. No big deal. I can handle the rest. You just have to make sure that you didn't skip on any single hair. Get it?"

"My hands are going to be _black_!"

"It'll wash off with just soap if you're quick," Arianna said casually. "Be careful because it will probably drip too."

G stared at her, somehow looking disgusted. "It is going to drip on _you_, too."

"Yes, thank you for stating the obvious. I told you that I could handle it. I just need you to settle the part I _can't_ see."

"I don't think he understands," Asari said, amusedly looking at G's furrowed brows and odd look on his face.

"What the hell, flute-nerd? Of course I understand!" G snapped out of the 'what the hell' phase.

"So why aren't you starting?" Asari asked good-naturedly.

"I _am_ starting!" G snapped, letting the black thick liquid dye his palm and roughly rubbing it on Arianna's head. "See?"

"That _hurts_!" Arianna screeched. "You don't have to dent my skull, G!"

He was not going to let her have the last word this time. "Bear with it, brat!"

"But it freaking _hurts_!"

"Oh, shut up."

And much to his – and everyone else's – surprise; she did.

Asari and Giotto watched in general silence, only letting a giggle slip here and there. Soon, the cabin floor, Arianna's dress, G's shirt, hands, arms and pants were sprinkled with the black hair dye. They almost choked on laughter when in the end, Arianna practically chased G off to some place where he could wash himself, and she herself disappeared from their sight.

G returned about fifteen minutes later, complaining. "'It'll wash off with just soap if you're quick'" he mimicked. "It'll wash off my ass! See how long it took me to get my hands to look _decent_?" Looking at Giotto and Asari for support, he showed them his palms.

Giotto and Asari carefully looked at each other, and Asari spoke. "Calm down, G. It looks completely all right. I would have never guessed that you dyed a girl's hair."

"Yeah!" Giotto quickly jumped in. "They're only a bit darker than your natural skin color, but it's not that discerned! Really! It only makes it seem as if you were doing some ground-digging!" At the very same moment, he wished he didn't say it. G looked utterly devastated.

"I swear I'll make that brat pay for this," he uttered under his breath, collapsing on his bed. "I just need to get some rest, first. This is _so_ exhausting."

"He's warming up to her, too, isn't he?" Asari asked to Giotto, smiling knowingly.

Giotto had to smile as well. "Yes, I think he is. He doesn't look like he wants to choke her every other second."

"That's because I want to slice her throat and throw her to the sharks to finish off the business!" G snapped from his pillow.

Asari laughed. "Yes. He is warming up to her," he affirmed.

* * *

><p>It took another hour for Arianna to show up. Giotto and Asari grew slightly worried about to girl, for how long she'd been absent, but when she showed up, her face looked particularly refreshed and her hair jet-black.<p>

"I have to admit," she said, voice full of respect, "that G has talent with this. An amazing talent, if I may add!"

G grumbled from underneath his pillow.

"You're welcome." She smirked in his direction, a bit disappointed because he couldn't see her smirk.

"I told you to shut up, not thanked you, idiot!" G snorted, removing the pillow from his head so she could hear.

"You're supposed to say thanks when someone gives you a compliment, G. It was one of the first things I learned in my etiquette lessons," Arianna said formally.

"Like I give a damn."

"You should."

"Well, I _don't_!"

"I know. But don't you worry. You'll learn soon enough."

The knowing smile on her face exceptionally angered him. "No shit."

Giotto resisted the urge to laugh. "Well, since we skipped the breakfast, how about an earlier lunch?" he suggested. G was sitting straight almost at the same millisecond, eyes glistering on the mention of the lunch.

"No, thank you," Asari said politely. "I don't feel hungry at the moment."

"I'll skip as well," Arianna said. "I had Asari bring me tons of food while I was telling him of last night. I don't think I ever ate more in my entire life. I don't want to gain weight before I'm forty."

G raised a brow at her skinny and petite figure. "You sure are doing a great job with that, then."

Arianna blinked suspiciously, her body looking oddly frozen. "Was that a compliment?"

"No. It was an insult. I said it too politely. You look like you're skin and bones."

Arianna visibly relaxed. "Now that was a lie. I'm perfectly satisfied the way I am at the moment. You shall not make me change my mind."

"Not trying to, either. Come on, Giotto. Let's go get some food. I'm ravenous," G said and walked out of the cabin, not looking back. Giotto flashed a smile in Arianna's direction before he followed G. He was sure that she smiled back.

"Hey, Giotto," G called as they had their plates of food set in front of them in the dinning area in the ship.

"Yes?" Giotto asked, taking another bite of omelet.

"Have you been thinking about restarting the vigilant group anytime soon?" G asked, almost casually. The undertone was just too serious to be hidden.

Giotto put down his fork, answering honestly, "Yes, I have."

"So?"

"I… don't want the history to repeat itself." That odd thing he had identified as intuition (or hyper intuition, as G called it), sparked, as if it was trying to say that it won't.

"It won't."

Giotto groaned inwardly. Why did G have to agree with it?

"I'm not sure. It fears me, to have the past events repeat themselves. I don't want to get myself in the midst of trouble like that again, but I cannot stand aside either," he spoke in low voice. Before he could say anything else, however, a new voice interjected.

"Is this seat occupied?"

Giotto and G's heads snapped in the direction of the one and only Elena Eterno, in a purple, sparkling dress, smiling sheepishly at both of them.

G started, "Who the heck are-" but Giotto silenced him with a wave of his hand.

"No, it is not. You may sit there, Miss Elena."

She casted a long-sided glanced in G's direction. "Your, uh, friend, won't mind, will he?"

G furrowed his brows.

"No, of course not," Giotto said. "Sit."

"Thank you," Elena said, sitting in a gracious movement.

"G, this is Miss Elena Eterno, the young lady I have gotten a chance to meet yesterday after lunch. Miss Elena, this is my best friend, G," Giotto introduced.

Elena nodded politely. "It is a pleasure, G."

G hissed something under his breath.

Elena turned to Giotto, sly gleam in her eyes. "So this is your friend that you are escorting to Britain?" she asked, all while slightly smirking. Why she was smirking, Giotto didn't wish to know.

G side-glanced, at Giotto, as if asking, 'what the hell did you say to her'.

"No, it's not," Giotto said, exiting the polite façade. "It is another friend that we are escorting to Britain."

"Oh, are you escorting your other friend to London, then?" Elena asked.

"No, not London," Giotto said.

Her brows furrowed slightly, but elegantly. "Then where? Manchester? Or perhaps Edinburgh?"

"How about you don't pry?" G retorted. "It's private."

Giotto was slightly worried about G's tone of voice and the way Elena was taking it, but she seemed just as unfazed as Arianna had been the entire morning. Somehow, G seemed not to be able to intimidate girls recently. "Well, I just am of the curious nature. Is it bad that I want to know more of you and your friend?"

"Well, no…" Giotto muttered awkwardly while G said nothing.

"See?" Elena now pointedly turned to G. "Is that your natural hair color?"

"Yes."

"And was it a must to hiss at me so rudely?"

"It was a matter of choice."

"Now that is just mean. Rudeness won't get you anywhere."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. Really. So, Giotto, will I get a chance to meet that friend of yours that is travelling to Britain?"

Giotto, who felt sort of left out, now was struck speechless.

G, however, was not. "Why the hell would you want to meet that brat?"

"G, that's rude!" Giotto said.

"Yes, it's rude," Elena added. "And perhaps I'm interested into travelling to Britain myself, so I want to know someone there when I go. So, where is that friend of yours?"

"Uh, with our other friend…" Giotto offered.

Elena cocked her eyebrow suspiciously, repeating, "With your other friend?"

"Well aren't you interrogating much," G remarked.

"I beg your pardon for being naturally doubtful of all sorts of stories."

Giotto was about to respond, but instead he froze. He recognized Daniel Reno walking into the ship's dining room, hand by hand with the beautiful woman of dark curly hair for which Giotto assumed to be his wife – or Arianna's sister. Right behind them were the two guards that he had recognized, and one of them, unfortunately, glanced in their direction. For one steady moment, Giotto's eyes met his and Giotto tugged G's elbow.

"I think we ought to go," he voiced as silently as he could.

G was looking at him with the 'are you for real?' look, but seeing his glance going back and forth, he turned around, just to see the guard telling something to Daniel Reno.

"Oh, shit."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well," Giotto mumbled.

"What?" Elena asked, picking up on their odd behavior. "What is going on? Why are you being so sneaky?"

"Let's just say that we must go," Giotto said, albeit too quickly.

"But-"

"You heard him, lady," G added.

"But-"

"If we ever meet again, we'll probably explain it all."

"Wait a-"

"Fuck! We don't have time for lousy goodbyes, Giotto! That guard is coming over here!"

"Right. It was a pleasure, Miss Elena. Hopefully, we'll have another chance for a conver-"

Elena hadn't heard the rest of the sentence, seeing as Giotto was dragged away by G. She watched carefully, however, only to see a person follow their steps outside the dining room. She frowned, crossing her arms. Graciously, she abandoned the table and searched for her mother and father. She was going to find out why they were running away so sneakily even if it were the last thing she'd done.

Besides, it's not as if she had anything better to do. Not during this lousy trip, anyway.

* * *

><p>Arianna had been walking unnaturally slowly. Somehow, everything that had happened had now caught up with her and she no longer felt all that reckless and determined. When she ran on Daniel and Victoria the previous night... it just clicked to her. She missed them; both of them. Sure she missed Victoria more, but Daniel was never mean to her. He knew how to be quite charismatic at times.<p>

For a moment, she thought of actually giving up, but then she remembered Giotto. Then G, Asari and Nanny.

They had given in so much to help her make her dreams come true. She had no right to give up now. It wouldn't be mature of her. She would break her promise to Nanny and she couldn't quite imagine how much that would actually hurt.

Sighing, Arianna leaned on the fence, enjoying the wind rushing through her hair. Someone tugged at her hand and she turned to see a boy about a foot shorter than her; blonde, with a worried expression in his face.

"Can I help you?" she asked in her best Italian manner. Hanging out with G and Giotto and Asari truly had helped her fix her accent.

The boy uttered something ridiculously quickly in French and disappeared. Arianna rolled her eyes. Languages were so not her forte. And to think Asari offered to teach her Japanese.

She shook her head, laughing at the though. So far she only knew how to say no in Japanese and that was it.

Moving away from the fence, she continued her walk. Somehow, no place could hold her for longer than a few minutes. She didn't even care if she were to run on Victoria or Daniel at the moment.

However the lone thought of them brought an ache to Arianna's chest. How could Victoria not bloody recognize her?

She almost failed to notice G and Giotto rushing to her before they rushed past her. For a second, she just glared at them from behind. Giotto then turned, as if only then he had realized he had passed her.

Before Arianna could even open her mouth, he shouted, "Nella watch-!" but he never got to finish. Arianna had only turned in the direction he was looking at to see two very familiar guards only a few steps away and promptly closing in on her.

Oh, _crap_.

* * *

><p>Daniel Reno was having a very, very good day. The news he got from home were quite good and while Victoria wasn't quite satisfied with France, she was going to be and he knew it. However, upon their late night picnic and spotting young Miss that had escaped, Daniel had a very odd feeling that the girl was, in fact, Arianna Harland.<p>

What he couldn't make out was why didn't Victoria recognize her? And why was she even here? Was she truly kidnapped from her room, or was it the way Lady Elizabeth had said; she had escaped in an attempt to return to Britain?

Daniel couldn't make anything of it. Why would she escape? She was obviously happy. And if she had already done so, why wasn't she on that ship for Britain only several days upon her disappearance? He had his men thoroughly search the ship on Victoria's begging.

His fiancée back then – wife now – was devastated with her sister's disappearance. Vincent Harland wasn't taking it all that well either, but what surprised Daniel were the girl's parents.

Lady Elizabeth appeared as if it was something natural, something that needed a good beating or punishment. Lord Harland didn't quite bother at all. He said she'd show up and that was it. It had taken Daniel by surprise rather much.

"Don Reno," one of his guards called.

Daniel's head snapped up. "Yes?"

"Lady Victoria had wanted me to pass you the message that she is waiting for you."

"Oh, yes, the lunch." Daniel sighed and stood up.

Soon enough, he was in the restaurant with Victoria, pleasantly conversing on his hidden plans.

"Oh come on, do tell me about where else we are going aside from Marseilles and Paris!" she protested.

Daniel chuckled lightly. "That remains to be seen, my dear. I do assure you that you are going to like it."

"Daniel, please!"

"No, dear, not yet."

"Don Reno," one of the guards said quietly.

"Yes?" demanded Daniel nonchalantly.

"Targets seventeen and eighteen are present."

It caught both Daniel and Victoria by surprise. "What?"

"The two brats from no-man's land. G and Giotto."

"What about them?" asked Daniel.

"They're escaping. Should we follow?"

Daniel's mouth hung open. Targets seventeen and eighteen were precisely those numbers on high priority list. This was supposed to be a pleasure trip, not business one. Sighing, he replied. "Yes, do bring them to me as soon as possible."

And the guards made their move.

"The targets seventeen and eighteen?" asked Victoria with a raised eyebrow, voice filled with skepticism.

"Known for wrecking havoc wherever they go," explained Daniel lazily. "I don't wish my trip to be filled with havoc and mayhem, especially when it is supposed to be for pleasure."

"So you are going to arrest them?" Victoria asked skeptically.

He smiled. "Of course not. I'm just going to see if they're here to cause trouble."

"And if they are?" asked Victoria, her lips curling upwards.

"Then I am going to act accordingly."

She raised an eyebrow.

He flashed her a smile.

She sighed.

"I love you."

"I love you too, my dear."

And only two seconds after he had said that, one of the guards came. "We have a situation, sir."

"Do tell," commanded Daniel.

"Targets seventeen and eighteen have completely pummeled Vannucci and Risel. They have also taken Miss Harland with them."

That had both Victoria and Daniel unaware that their jaws had dropped.

Finally, finding her voice, in some sort of blind belief it was a mistake, Victoria spoke, "But I am right here."

The guard looked at her and nodded. "I know that, but you are no longer Miss Harland. You are now Lady Reno. I am talking about the other Miss Harland – one that had gone missing about a month ago."

Daniel nodded in comprehension, remembering the girl from the previous night. And while he had thought of her, Victoria promptly fainted.

With a sigh, Daniel turned to the guard. "Do watch out for her while I go and see what is going on."

The guard nodded and Daniel left. Only then did he realize that something didn't quite add up in this story. Why would Arianna of all people be _here_ with those two village brats? Moreover, how in the world did they _get_ here?


	11. How to be sneaky on a ship part II

**Chapter 11**  
><strong>How to be sneaky on a ship<strong>  
><strong>Part II<strong>

"**Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."****  
><strong>― C.S. Lewis

There were only two coherent thoughts inside of Arianna's mind the moment she saw the guards. First one involved a thought along the lines of 'come on, silly, they won't recognize you'. The second, however, was a bit more pessimistic and much, much, stronger, being 'you've gotta run, you've gotta run NOW'.

She couldn't, though. No matter how much she wanted, she couldn't make her single muscle move.

Panic began to strike her. What if they recognize her? What if they recognize her and stop?

_Well,_ the optimistic and logical part of her brain thought, _they'll stop chasing after G and Giotto_.

The other, pessimistic and paranoid part, retorted, _"They're going to recognize you, grab you and forcefully take you back home. You stand no chance, missy."_

Arianna shuddered.

No matter what, she could not allow that to happen. But it was too late now. Both guards – she recognized Vannuci, Daniel's constant escort – had spotted her and had now stopped running after the other two.

Vannuci was nice, she remembered. Arianna liked him simply because, for a guard, he wasn't built like a boxer or anything alike to that. He was scrawny looking, short – only an inch or two taller than Arianna – and he was pretty much a jovial person from what she got to see. Even though he was short and scrawny, he was pretty strong, she recollected, remembering how Vincent tried and failed to beat him in arm wrestling.

Arianna couldn't move, couldn't think. All she could do was stand still, staring at Vannuci. Somewhere along the line, the guard had stopped moving completely and stared back at her. The other one tried to get him to move, but Vannuci refused.

"Miss Harland?" he asked.

Arianna literally felt her face drain of color. She stood rigid, trying to think of a way to get the hell away from the guard. Her brain wasn't functioning, though, and for a first time she simply didn't know what to do.

"Vannuci, what are you-?" the other guard started, but Vannuci raised his hand.

"Miss Harland?" he repeated in English this time, worry etched in his face.

It snapped Arianna out of her fit. She tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace, she assumed. Suddenly she knew what she had to do and how she was supposed to do it. There was a plan in her mind and the sudden urging in her muscles to move made her twitchy. Finally, she swallowed.

"Good afternoon," she said sweetly and, with a polite nod, she turned to flee.

She hadn't even finished turning when a hand (_Gosh, he must have great reflexes, _a small part of Arianna's brain thought), grabbed her by the elbow. It was nothing hard or painful, just enough to stop her from moving, but it surprised her. The closing in and the sudden pressure pulling her back surprised her a lot, but what surprised her even more was the scream that had left her throat.

She wasn't the only one surprised, though.

Vannuci looked as if he had been slapped and he immediately released her, but clearly, it was too late.

Only second upon Arianna's release, a fist came crashing down on Vannuci's face, successfully having him take a few steps back. G was standing perhaps a foot away from her and was looking rather frustrated.

"Nella, come on," Giotto's voice came from the other side while Arianna was staring at G with her eyes wide open. She hadn't even noticed that Giotto had already taken care of the other guard before he called her, but she didn't dwell on that. She didn't even wait for him to call her the second time. She just swallowed and let him lead.

Vannuci and this other guard, however, were quick as well. Soon enough, they were up on their feet and running after them.

Arianna then became rather aware of her surroundings, the confused people, scared children and curious spectators around them, as well as the two guards that were running after Giotto, G and her.

They caught up way too quickly.

"Nella, go find Asari," said Giotto, stepping between her and Vannuci. "We'll take care of them."

"I… all right," muttered Arianna and, with a quick nod, rushed away.

With the first possible turn, she had taken it and then continued turning until she found herself on the back side of the ship, the peaceful one. People there were all having their own conversations, not paying any attention to the winded girl.

Trying to calm her heart-rate, Arianna walked back inside. She knew how to reach the cabins from there.

She wasn't sure what to do, however, for she had left G and Giotto to take care of her matters. In a way, that made her a coward… And she did feel like a coward. On the first sign of trouble, she hadn't kept her cool. She had panicked, gotten scared and let the others deal with her own troubles. She despised herself for that. She knew G and Giotto could take care of themselves, but where was the logic in having them protect her all the time?

She needed to become stronger, she realized. It wasn't just learning how to fight. She needed to learn how to be brave, courageous and quick-thinking in situations like these… but that usually isn't taught. You're either born with it or you aren't and Arianna clearly wasn't born with it.

Still, she's going to learn. She'll learn how to use her brain even in situations like that… even if it were the last thing she learned. Though it probably wasn't going to be, the intelligent part of her speculated.

Arianna ignored it.

Determinedly, she had begun marching towards the cabins when something grabbed her from behind. Before she even opened her mouth to scream, a hand landed over them, successfully suffocating her every attempt in voicing her displeasure.

Feeling something sharp on her back and being simply unable to stand up to the force of being pushed _somewhere,_ Arianna relented and walked obediently. As she had opened the door of the cabin that most certainly wasn't hers, she thought, _I better not let this become my habit_.

When she got to see where exactly she had ended up, every logical thought simply fled from her mind. "Oh, _god_!"

* * *

><p>Asari had slowly taken to being worried about his friends. Giotto and G had taken off for lunch and Arianna insisted she needed a time alone. He wasn't going to be the one to take that away from her. Still, as frustrating as it was, it would've been nice of them if they had just told him where they were going to be.<p>

He had already visited the restaurant, the deck and he'd been even in the upper levels and all he had gotten to hear was that something big happened but no one said what. With a sigh, he decided it would be the best to return to the cabin. The chances were that his friends had already gotten back.

However, as he approached the cabins, he could hear G shouting, and from the sound of the voice he was rather frustrated.

"-here and stay here and now she's not here and neither is Asari!"

Asari decided not to think much of that. Instead, he approached and opened the cabin door, calmly walking inside with a slight smile. "I heard you calling, G."

It took both G and Giotto by surprise, but the first question they asked wasn't something Asari had expected.

"Good. Now where has that goddamn brat gotten to?" G, of course, demanded to know.

"I haven't seen Nella since she had gone for a walk," replied Asari, now beginning to worry slightly. "Is something the matter?"

And they told him. They told him of the Reno guards and helping Arianna escape.

"In the end we had to completely knock out those pipsqueaks, they had gotten so darn frustrating!" G contributed. "You wouldn't believe it. It's like suddenly they've gotten all strong and crap." He snorted. "As if. Pipsqueaks. Not even a bit stronger than they used to be. I swear I miss those times when we got to pulverize them daily."

Giotto seemed rather amused at the remark, but he amended, "That was the Walsh, G. Still, I must admit that it feels good to throw a solid punch once in a while."

G snorted. "Understatement of the century. You had him rolling from one side of the ship to another, despite the closed doors."

Asari chuckled at the mental picture. "I take it we'll have to get off the ship with the first chance we get."

"Unfortunately," sighed Giotto. "Will there be any pauses or breaks? I heard Genoa being mentioned earlier, but I'm not sure in what context that was."

"Well, there should be a break in Genoa," said Asari thoughtfully. "If you want, I can go ask the captain about it. I'm certain he would be nice enough to give me the answer."

Giotto smiled. "Yeah, you do that. In the meantime, G and I are off to find Arianna. Seeing as she hasn't arrived here, or perhaps she _had_ arrived while there was no one, she could've probably gone out on her own. I don't even want to imagine in what trouble she could get into if I'm right."

"Or she could've fallen over into the sea and got eaten by sharks. I'd say that would be a good turn of events for us," reprimanded G.

Asari nearly chuckled, but decided to tease G instead. "I take it this about us having more money if that happens or…?"

"Or we don't have to deal with that ruddy brat!" hissed G.

Asari couldn't help it; he chuckled.

Giotto, who stayed genuinely neutral during the discussion, now seemed as if he was fighting a smile as well. However, it didn't appear so in his voice when he spoke. "Fortunately for us, all we have to do is take her to Britain, not _deal_ with her. I think even proposing a deal could end up with us being on the wrong side of it. She _is _an aristocrat."

Asari now outright laughed.

G hissed defiantly, "Not helping, Giotto!"

"Well, we still have to find her if we want any scenario at all," replied Giotto and stood.

Glaring at Giotto, G muttered, "Please make her fall overboard, please, please make her fall overboard."

Asari again chuckled. This was becoming ridiculous. "Be nice, G, not sadistic. You know you would, just as Giotto and I, jump after her if that were to happen."

"More likely I'd be the one to push her over," muttered G. As an afterthought, he added, "With my luck, she'd just grow wings, fly back and have me dye her goddamn hair again."

"Well, your luck does seem to be increasing lately," Asari pointed out. He had to instinctively dodge a fist headed for his face, but seeing G so frustrated totally made up for it. Giotto obviously shared the thought.

Taking G by the elbow, he dragged him out, shouting out to Asari, "Do tell us what the captain said."

"Of course!" Asari shouted back. He watched the two head over towards the deck and with a sigh, Asari turned to stroll towards the captain. Sure they had decided to view the bright side of the matter, but it was a fact all three had been aware of; Arianna just may be in more trouble then they initially thought.

They had no idea how exceptionally right – or wrong, depending on how one takes it – they were.

* * *

><p>Arianna stared at the room before her wide-eyed, only a small fragrance of her mind wondering who the lucky princess staying <em>there<em> was.

The rest of it was still trying to take in how simply amazing the cabin looked. From the sheets that were most obviously the finest linen damask that could be found in the world, to the large collection of the dresses in all colors that were just splendidly fantastic. Even the collection of the hats – accessory which most definitely was not one of Arianna's favorites – was magnificent.

For a moment, she cursed herself for allowing Asari to go and buy the tickets instead of her. She would have most definitely taken the first class instead of the rags they were sleeping in.

Not that she was that much of a materialist, really; she did spend several days sleeping on the ground, after all. She wasn't picky. And it's not as if she'd have the dresses and hats to fill the cabin with, but that totally didn't matter.

The room, aside from a four-poster bed held a couch and several comfortable looking armchairs, all around a small coffee table and turned towards the window from where the waves could be seen.

Assuming that the one holding her – that had now moved the hand from her mouth – was the owner of the room, Arianna started considering that instead of punching them as she had first intended, she should probably give them a hug and _then_ punch them. Still, the only thing she had managed to do so far was mouth a 'wow', almost soundlessly.

She felt the grip on her wrist lessen and her kidnapper spoke, "I take it you like it here. Go ahead and choose a seat. I haven't gone through all this trouble to have you feel imprisoned, after all. Besides, restraining is so much harder than it looks."

Arianna almost felt like laughing. The keyword being almost. She knew it was useless now to turn and attempt to break out by force. Sure, she could try, but since her 'kidnapper' turned out to be a woman, she couldn't really consider herself being kidnapped. It wasn't Victoria. Nor was it anyone else whose voice she recognized.

With a sigh, Arianna nodded softly and chose to sit in one of the armchairs from which she could get a view on the waves. She had always liked water… and snow… and ice… and anything even mildly water-related. It just always had her drawn to it. It made her feel free. And that's in a way the reason why she had turned towards her capturer in completely calm manner.

However, she was completely taken aback at the sight. The woman now sitting in the armchair opposite of Arianna was gorgeous and her every move reeked of elegance and grace Arianna had only ever seen in her mother. Her hair was long, wavy and blonde, her features delicate and eyes probably even a deeper blue than her own. Her figure was slim, as if delicately crafted and more than that. It was obvious that the Italian aristocratic families appreciated beauty and elegance far more than the British ever would.

For a second, Arianna regretted not listening to her mother about her stances, head position and all the other crap.

In the other second, she wanted to rip the unknown girl apart. That red dress was undoubtedly _hers_! And, _oh god_, it fit her better than it ever would to Arianna.

Her anger and envy must have been obvious on her face, though, for the girl inquisitively raised an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

Arianna considered spitting in her face. Even the voice was gracious if a voice could ever be! She wondered how that never occurred to her before, but it didn't matter.

She wrote the option of spitting in her face out, for she didn't know whether the lady was a friend or a foe in her intentions, but in everything else, the moment Arianna had seen the dress, the girl had become a foe. God damn it! Why couldn't her dress look so _damn_ nice on _her_?

However, she replied in frustrated voice, "Other than you literally forcing me to come here? No, I wouldn't think of anything else. While we are at that, why, in fact, am I here?"

The mystery girl seemed amused by Arianna's attitude which served to infuriate the raven-haired girl even more.

"Oh, I have my reasons. One of them is that I, for the most part, hate mysteries."

It seemed as if she wanted to add something, but Arianna refused to even consider listening to it. "And I'm connected to this mystery of yours how, exactly?"

"Well, I wouldn't say you were connected, really, seeing as you rather _are_ the mystery. Besides, it is not as if I have any malevolent intentions towards you. I just wish for answers to several of my questions. I do not believe that to be so much of a problem," she said.

Arianna was about to disagree, but then changed her mind. "How in the world could _I_ be a mystery to someone I have never even seen in my life?" she asked.

"Let's just say I've been observing and, really, there is no much you can do on a long journey," replied the girl with a shrug. "Oh, and so silly of me, I didn't even ask for your name."

Arianna frowned. "Is that supposed to make me say it?"

"May you please share your name, Miss?" the girl retorted skeptically. At Arianna's raised brow, she added "I assume you are pleased now."

"How about your name in exchange?"

The beauty blinked incredulously and then sighed. "Elena."

Arianna nodded. "Nella."

"Pleased to meet you," said Elena.

"While I most certainly would give a polite reply to that, at the moment I don't feel all that pleased. After all, I'm the one being under interrogation here."

That seemed to have managed in backtracking Elena a little and only for an instance, she looked distraught. "I haven't exactly intended it to turn out this way. I was just curious of some things."

"Curiosity killed the cat," said Arianna nonchalantly.

"But satisfaction brought her back." Elena smirked.

"You know, I do have an appreciation for the people who remember the other part of the proverb," Arianna said, much against her better judgment.

Elena laughed. "Yes, yes. And here I thought I was the only one."

Arianna smiled genuinely. Maybe she was insane and furious, but sometimes it was interesting to dispute with the people who didn't have a necessity to yell at her, like G, for instance. Heavens knew Arianna just loved frustrating people and having ludicrous arguments with them, but sometimes too much was way too much.

Elena, though, was a whole different kettle of fish, one which might as well be able to put up a very good argument… and perhaps even win in the end. Well, Arianna then probably had to try and win anyway.

"So, what is it that you want from me, exactly?" she asked.

"Oh, just to answer me some simple questions, really," said Elena with a shrug. "For instance, who were those two that had beaten up Daniel Reno's guards to protect you?"

Arianna's mouth hung open. She wasn't sure whether to be worried about Elena working undercover for Daniel, or whether Elena was actually interested in G or Giotto. As much as the latter thought made her wanna laugh, she still prayed that it was that what this was about. Besides, there could be no aristocrat from Sicily or Italy in general that has not at least heard of Reno family.

Forcefully, Arianna sneered. "That is all you have brought me here to talk about? I can't believe this… Have you ever heard of introduction? Or perhaps courting? Or conversation? I'm sure that would've helped you _much_ more than kidnapping me."

Elena didn't seem all that pleased with her answer. "For your information, my fiancée is waiting for me in Marseilles," she bit off. "However this may seem – I _am_ the one who had chosen him. What I am attempting here is simply get the information they aren't sharing."

Whoops. She messed it up and they both knew it.

Arianna could, with satisfaction boiling inside of her, see how the girl had bitten her tongue. Still, Arianna pitied her, if only a little. She had yet _so_ much to learn – not that Arianna was the one to speak. After all, sometimes she couldn't hold her tongue even to save her life. Maybe that is how she dragged Giotto and the others into this whole business of helping her. They couldn't refuse to help someone to save their life.

That thought actually had her laughing hysterically.

Elena did not look pleased.

Though, that probably was the understatement of the week.

Arianna forced herself to stop laughing and said, "I'm sorry, really. It's not you I'm laughing at. A thought just occurred to me… Anyway, if you aren't interested in courting them, why, exactly do you want to know _anything_?"

Elena, whose cheeks had gone a bit pink (though it only added up to her look), bit out, "I have already told you that I hate mysteries. Then there he comes out of nowhere, stalking me up on a ship. Is it wrong if I want to know if I should be worried? So far I can't possibly read him! On one side, he's nice and polite, on the other, he keeps avoiding straight answers! Then he comes with a ridiculous story and I am simply not able to see through him!"

Arianna listened through the story, not at all sure what to say or do. On one hand, this whole situation was ridiculous to her. She was going to get into a fit of laughter and there would be no way for her to control it. On the other, she couldn't help wonder exactly who was the 'he' that Elena was talking about. Of course, Arianna could only assume it was Giotto – for G could never, for the life of his, be _nice_ to someone – but she still had no confirmation. And besides, how arrogant could a girl be, thinking that any man would be obsessed with her?

Still, she did find it that she was sympathizing with Elena. If only one tiny little tidbit.

Partly congratulating herself, partly cursing everything she could think of, Arianna said, "You know… I _could_ help. Assuming you tell me the name, of course, and what exactly is that is bugging you about him. Still, I can straight out guarantee that none of them are stalking you."

Elena glanced at her in a way Arianna couldn't possibly figure out.

"Thanks for solving the mystery for me."

Obviously, she wasn't thankful at all and suddenly, it all clicked in Arianna's head.

"So wait, this was all about you entertaining yourself whilst trying to solve a mystery which even you knew wasn't a mystery?"

"God, _no_, you're making me sound pathetic!"

"Well, judging by what I've heard so far, you _are_, if a little bit, pathetic."

"Splendid."

"Hey, at least I'm honest."

"I don't see how _you_ are being honest, Miss Arianna Rosemarie Harland."

Arianna gaped.

"Yes, that's what I thought," said Elena dismissively. "Did you think I didn't know you were lying from the beginning, _Nella_? Oh, please. Anyone who knows about Daniel Reno also knows about his wife's missing sister. At least those who had attended the wedding."

Arianna wanted to say something, _anything_, but she had no idea _what_. Her mouth were opening and closing and she had an idea that she very much resembled a goldfish – or any fish in general.

Elena didn't stop there, though. "I'm just wondering if your friends know about this secret identity of yours… I didn't really figure anything out until I overheard those guards saying something to Don Reno and he stormed out of the restaurant. Getting his wife to speak was ridiculously easy, so to speak. I think she's still in shock. They thought you were dead or in Britain already."

She sighed a little when no response came from Arianna. "Don't tell me you're worried about me ranting you out to them?"

Arianna looked up, not entirely certain what to think anymore.

Elena laughed. "Please, I said I hated mysteries, and your face just confirmed that I had solved one. Why would I rat you out now?"

Well that, Arianna thought, was a fair point.

"Tea?" Elena offered.

Not exactly clear on why or the how, Arianna found herself nodding. The next thing she was aware of was that she was laughing and chatting with Elena on how great collection of her dresses was and how silly of her it was to think that Giotto of all people was a stalker.

* * *

><p>Arianna found herself about two hours later, walking towards her cabin. She expected G was going to yell at her for taking so long and Giotto and Asari were going to be worried, but it's not as if she'd done anything wrong.<p>

She was kidnapped.

The part where her kidnapper, who turned out to be the Sicily princess Elena Eterno, turned out to know everything about her mission that was supposed to be a secret, that wasn't her fault! The part where she befriended the said kidnapper wasn't Arianna's fault either!

They were just… _oh damn it. Was I that desperate for a female company to befriend a kidnapper, a blackmailer and a manipulator? Life works in funny ways sometimes._

When she had reached the cabin and prepared to knock, she learned she wasn't sure if she wanted to face G's wrath right now. She wasn't in the mood. She was emotionally exhausted and shaken because there was no way a person could be comfortable when somehow, some random princess _that is so goddamn better than her_ knows something no one aside from the three sitting behind those door should know… and to top all that, she still envied Elena on the goddamn _suite_ of a cabin.

Yes, life definitely worked in funny ways sometimes.

She could only confirm that thought when Giotto opened the door and she didn't even knock.

"Nella?" was all that got out of his mouth before G begun yelling.

"Where the fucking hell have you been?!"

Arianna just looked at them flatly and shook her head. She noticed Asari was also inside, looking at her worriedly. She tried to grin but she was certain that it was more of a grimace than anything even alike to a grin.

It was funny, though. She wasn't sulking. She had nothing to be sulking about. She made a first female friend in _months_ and she had had a lot of fun. What in the world was there sulk about?

"Nella, are you all right?" she heard Giotto ask as he closed the door behind her.

She laughed, but it sounded more as if she choked. What the hell was up with her today?

"Oi, brat, what's up with you?" demanded G.

"Did something happen? Where were you?" asked Asari.

At this, Arianna actually laughed. Giving them all a look that made it clear that at this point, everything had become hilarious, she said in a sing-song voice, "Oh, you are not going to like this."

"Nella, what in the world-?" Giotto asked, but she cut him off.

"Elena said hi."

"Oh…" though he didn't seem to understand a thing.

"And before I continue, I do have one demand from you, guys."

"A demand?" G asked skeptically. "You've been missing for hours and now you come back with a freaking demand?"

"Yep."

"Let's hear it," said Asari, who apparently realized that nothing permanently damaging happened. At least he thought so. Arianna was pretty certain she was going to be scarred for life.

She sighed. "Kill me now."

And then she just lay on the bed, ignoring any silly question she was asked.

"You know, I just might take you up on that," said G in the end when both Giotto and Asari stopped talking, realizing she was pretending to sleep.

Arianna countered, "Oh, you wouldn't. Not when I'm so willing to agree, anyway."

G frowned slightly, but nodded.

Asari looked at Giotto curiously. "Is there something we are missing here? I'm quite certain G and Arianna didn't speak the same language and I'm pretty sure I can't understand a thing of what they are saying."

Giotto, worry still etched in his face, shrugged. "She mentioned Elena… I can only guess where that had gone over by now."

"I told you that woman was insane. Now she'd turned this brat even crazier than she had already been," reprimanded G. He then hissed something in his chin that sounded very much like 'just my luck'.

"Oh she's one ruddy kidnapper, blackmailer and one fucking manipulative bitch," snapped Arianna and begun laughing again. "Just kill me now and cut my torture short. You won't ever believe how god damn _frustrating_ Italian aristocrats can be."

Asari laughed and there was even a trace of a smile on Giotto's face as he said, "If you want us to understand a thing, you'll have to start from the beginning. Just so to confirm if I owe G a five or not."

Arianna raised an eyebrow, somehow not finding it in herself to be surprised. "You guys were betting on me?"

A collective nod.

Arianna opened her mouth, closed them and opened again, before saying, "I thought it was Asari who liked making bets here."

"Oh, he's already gotten his five. He said you'd come back acting as crazy as usual," muttered G darkly.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means; where the hell were you this whole afternoon?!"

"Oh, all right, all right, I'll tell you. Just tell me we're getting off this ship as soon as possible otherwise I'm gonna go insane."

"You're already mentally disturbed!"

"Listen to a pink-head talking."

"Why you-!"

"G, please. Anyways, it seems luck's on your side, though, Nella. We're getting off the ship in about twenty four hours," said Giotto.

Arianna blinked, looking at the blonde, bewildered. "Err… what?"

"Genoa. A break for the ship to resupply and then head towards Marseilles. It'll last for more than a day so we can get a look around the city," explained Asari.

"Just enough time for us to get off the ship before Reno figures out everything," added Giotto.

"Why do I feel as if you guys are putting much more thought in this than I am?" asked Arianna skeptically.

"Because we are," G snorted. "Now pull your ass together and start the goddamn story before I throw you out through the window."

"As if I would let you do that," retorted Arianna.

"Don't test me."

"All right, fine, okay. I'll tell you… under one condition."

"I'm not a fool to negotiate with the likes of you."

"Giotto?" Arianna looked at him innocently.

"Fine, let's hear the condition," said Giotto exasperatedly.

"You won't let G throw me in the sea, kill me or in any way antagonize me?" she asked.

"I think that much is already a given," G snorted.

Giotto laughed. "Of course I'm not going to let that happen."

Arianna nodded, accepting it. Then she sighed and, calmly, told them everything. Needless to say, G almost did throw her out through the miniature cabin window. Lucky that Asari and Giotto had fast enough reflexes to stop him before the glass actually broke.

That evening, Arianna went to sleep in a rather disturbed condition and dreamt of sharks, goldfishes, G and Elena grinning at her wickedly while signing a pact that was most definitely going to be the end of her and goldfishes singing her a requiem. She woke up nearly screaming her ass out before she realized it was all just a dream.

Asari, like G, probably came to a conclusion that was insane.

Arianna was thankful that she had failed to fall asleep again. Having Asari sign the contract as well really would have driven her insane – more than she already was.


End file.
